CHAPTER THREE:
"Are you sure the monkey said to bring me along?" Tika asked for the humdredth time.
"YES, I'm sure!" Vitani said, exasperated.
"Okay, okay, but I'm not entirely sure why the monkey would want to talk to me." Tika said.
"The 'monkey' has a name, you know." Vitani told her friend.
"Yeah, yeah, 'Rafiki the Flamboyant Shaman', got it."
Vitani chuckled at this, "I hope he never catches you saying these things about him."
"Oh, and what would he do?" Tika asked, "Put a spell on me, ooh, I'm scared."
She cowered in mock fright.
"I very well could, mind you!" a voice said, suddenly.
Tika and Vitani jumped about two yards into the air when Rafiki came up behind them.
"Oh hi, Mr. Rafiki sir!" Tika said, nervous suddenly.
"Look who's REALLY cowering now." Vitani said to Tika, cuffing her, playfully.
"Come with me, Rafiki knows the way." The old mandrill told them, and took off with more strength than one would expect of an elderly ape.
Vitani and Tika struggled to keep up, and barely availed in doing so.
They followed him all the way to the Pride Land's border.
Vitani jumped over a tree stump, only to have a hand in her face, suddenly.
"STOP!" Rafiki cried.
Vitani would've managed to do so, if Tika hadn't slammed into her from behind.
Rafiki side stepped Vitani as she fell to the earth.
"Well, do not just sit there, you have work to do!" Rafiki yelled as they picked themselves off the ground.
"Okay, ape, what have you brought us here for?" Tika asked, irritated.
"Be patient, young lioness, for the opposite could be your end." Rafiki told her, and led them to the edge of the Outlands.
"Why have you led us here?" Vitani asked.
"You must follow your own judgment from here." Rafiki said to her, "You must go in the direction you think is right."
With that, he vanished.
"Well, what's the call, Tani?" Tika asked.
"I don't know." Vitani said, "Where do you think I should go."
"I will only accompany you during YOUR journey. Its your choice."
"I need to think." Vitani said, "Give me reasons why I should stay here, and reasons why I should leave."
"Well, you wanted to be here, instead of the Outlands all your life, and now you have it, but it's apparently not what you truly wanted at all."
"That's right, I'm not happy here." Vitani said, thinking.
Tika was not sure of what to make of her friend right now. Vitani was always so cool, calm, and never let her emotions take control of her. Now, she was a mess.
'You must be with Vitani, whatever her choice be.' She decided. She would stick by her friend. It was all Vitani had right now.
"Have you decided on anything yet?" Tika said.
"Well, we can't go anywhere tonight, it's almost dark." Vitani said, looking at the almost gone sun.
She thought about it a little more. And finally, she said, "We'll leave tomorrow morning."
"Good." Tika said, relieved that the time Vitani and her had tried to go out to the water hole during the night. They nearly froze to death.
They turned back towards Pride Rock.
"I hope my fate is not a bad one." Vitani said to herself, worried if her judgment wouldn't be so good.
"Whatever it is, it's out there." Tika said, gesturing towards the outlands, "Out where we also don't want to be."
"I feel torn, Tika." Vitani said, "Everything I know is here, but the unknown is out there."
"I can see you're also frightened." Tika replied, "Maybe you should worry a little less about what the future holds and concentrate on now."
"Yes, you're probably right." Vitani said.
"You KNOW I'm right, I always am." Tika bragged, playfully.
"You are not!" Vitani retorted, laughing.
"Yes I am!"
"No, you're not!"
"I can keep this argument up as long as you can." Tika said.
Vitani groaned in exasperation. Tika always said that, and was usually right in saying so.
"Okay, okay, you win, Mrs. Genius." Vitani said, tauntingly.
"Hey, I forgive you for your faults." Tika replied.
"FAULTS!?" Vitani yelled and lunged playfully at Tika.
The two wrestled in the dirt for long time, for neither of them were willing to give up.
"Surrender, Vitani!" Tika shouted as she rolled over on top of her friend, pinning her to the ground.
"No!" Vitani shouted back as she shoved Tika off her, "You surrender!"
"Never!" Tika replied, giving a mock dramatic tone.
"Ya!" Vitani yelled as she jumped at her friend again, "This time, you're mine!"
Tika side stepped this attack this attack at the last second, sending Vitani crashing into the dirt, flat on her face. Having gained the advantage, Tika pinned the now dazed Vitani to the ground.
"Give up." Tika said.
Vitani grunted in acknowledgment to the command, and went limp.
"I'm a better fighter, too. How will you survive in this world?" Tika asked, testily.
"I'll survive if I come across someone who doesn't know how to beat we by way of testing my abilities during practice wrestling matches." Vitani replied.
"Hey, I'm also observant."
"Could you please stop bragging? It's annoying." Vitani growled, "And get off me!"
"Who else can I act macho around?" Tika asked, innocently.
"Who else? You ask macho no matter who you're with!" Vitani roared, frustrated.
"Well, that lie was worth a try." Tika said.
"Can we back to Pride Rock now?" Vitani asked, "There's a root digging into my back."
The sun crept over the horizon when morning came, and the pride awakened to the new light.
Simba looked over his territory from Pride Rock to get a bird's eye view for anything amuck before beginning his morning rounds of the lands.
"Your majesty?" a voice said from behind.
Simba turned to face the visitor.
"Ah, Vitani and Tika." He said, "Can I help you?"
"Yes, as I matter of fact, you can." Vitani said, "I have vitised Rafiki, and he tells me that my fate may lie in the outlands. Should I ever return, I wish to be welcome if I do."
"I see." Simba said, "Well, there are no changes against you, so I don't see why not. When are you leaving?"
"As soon as I say my fair wells to Kovu." Vitani said.
Simba nodded in approval.
"Thank you, your majesty." Vitani said, bowing.
"And of you?" Simba said, noticing Tika.
"I'm going with her." Tika said.
"I see." Simba said, "Excuse me, but I have to take my rounds of the lands now. You'll find Kovu patrolling by the waterhole. Good luck to both of you."
"Yes, your majesty." Vitani replied.
With that, Simba left.
"Come, Tika, I have to say goodbye to my brother." Vitani said, annd headed in the direction of the waterhole.
"Yes, we'll say by to your handsome brother." Tika put in.
"Oh, no, you don't." Vitani said, "Your crush on him should be over, he's with Kiara now."
"He could've been mine." Tika said, poutingly.
"Could you please keep a quiet about that? Somebody might hear you." Vitani cautioned.
"Oh, like what would they do? I'm leaving, and will probably be gone for A LONG time."
"They could tell Kiara."
"Good point."
"How do you manage to be so smart half the time, and so dumb the other?" Vitani mumbled.
"I heard that." Tika said, tauntingly.
"You were supposed to."
"Are you sure the monkey said to bring me along?" Tika asked for the humdredth time.
"YES, I'm sure!" Vitani said, exasperated.
"Okay, okay, but I'm not entirely sure why the monkey would want to talk to me." Tika said.
"The 'monkey' has a name, you know." Vitani told her friend.
"Yeah, yeah, 'Rafiki the Flamboyant Shaman', got it."
Vitani chuckled at this, "I hope he never catches you saying these things about him."
"Oh, and what would he do?" Tika asked, "Put a spell on me, ooh, I'm scared."
She cowered in mock fright.
"I very well could, mind you!" a voice said, suddenly.
Tika and Vitani jumped about two yards into the air when Rafiki came up behind them.
"Oh hi, Mr. Rafiki sir!" Tika said, nervous suddenly.
"Look who's REALLY cowering now." Vitani said to Tika, cuffing her, playfully.
"Come with me, Rafiki knows the way." The old mandrill told them, and took off with more strength than one would expect of an elderly ape.
Vitani and Tika struggled to keep up, and barely availed in doing so.
They followed him all the way to the Pride Land's border.
Vitani jumped over a tree stump, only to have a hand in her face, suddenly.
"STOP!" Rafiki cried.
Vitani would've managed to do so, if Tika hadn't slammed into her from behind.
Rafiki side stepped Vitani as she fell to the earth.
"Well, do not just sit there, you have work to do!" Rafiki yelled as they picked themselves off the ground.
"Okay, ape, what have you brought us here for?" Tika asked, irritated.
"Be patient, young lioness, for the opposite could be your end." Rafiki told her, and led them to the edge of the Outlands.
"Why have you led us here?" Vitani asked.
"You must follow your own judgment from here." Rafiki said to her, "You must go in the direction you think is right."
With that, he vanished.
"Well, what's the call, Tani?" Tika asked.
"I don't know." Vitani said, "Where do you think I should go."
"I will only accompany you during YOUR journey. Its your choice."
"I need to think." Vitani said, "Give me reasons why I should stay here, and reasons why I should leave."
"Well, you wanted to be here, instead of the Outlands all your life, and now you have it, but it's apparently not what you truly wanted at all."
"That's right, I'm not happy here." Vitani said, thinking.
Tika was not sure of what to make of her friend right now. Vitani was always so cool, calm, and never let her emotions take control of her. Now, she was a mess.
'You must be with Vitani, whatever her choice be.' She decided. She would stick by her friend. It was all Vitani had right now.
"Have you decided on anything yet?" Tika said.
"Well, we can't go anywhere tonight, it's almost dark." Vitani said, looking at the almost gone sun.
She thought about it a little more. And finally, she said, "We'll leave tomorrow morning."
"Good." Tika said, relieved that the time Vitani and her had tried to go out to the water hole during the night. They nearly froze to death.
They turned back towards Pride Rock.
"I hope my fate is not a bad one." Vitani said to herself, worried if her judgment wouldn't be so good.
"Whatever it is, it's out there." Tika said, gesturing towards the outlands, "Out where we also don't want to be."
"I feel torn, Tika." Vitani said, "Everything I know is here, but the unknown is out there."
"I can see you're also frightened." Tika replied, "Maybe you should worry a little less about what the future holds and concentrate on now."
"Yes, you're probably right." Vitani said.
"You KNOW I'm right, I always am." Tika bragged, playfully.
"You are not!" Vitani retorted, laughing.
"Yes I am!"
"No, you're not!"
"I can keep this argument up as long as you can." Tika said.
Vitani groaned in exasperation. Tika always said that, and was usually right in saying so.
"Okay, okay, you win, Mrs. Genius." Vitani said, tauntingly.
"Hey, I forgive you for your faults." Tika replied.
"FAULTS!?" Vitani yelled and lunged playfully at Tika.
The two wrestled in the dirt for long time, for neither of them were willing to give up.
"Surrender, Vitani!" Tika shouted as she rolled over on top of her friend, pinning her to the ground.
"No!" Vitani shouted back as she shoved Tika off her, "You surrender!"
"Never!" Tika replied, giving a mock dramatic tone.
"Ya!" Vitani yelled as she jumped at her friend again, "This time, you're mine!"
Tika side stepped this attack this attack at the last second, sending Vitani crashing into the dirt, flat on her face. Having gained the advantage, Tika pinned the now dazed Vitani to the ground.
"Give up." Tika said.
Vitani grunted in acknowledgment to the command, and went limp.
"I'm a better fighter, too. How will you survive in this world?" Tika asked, testily.
"I'll survive if I come across someone who doesn't know how to beat we by way of testing my abilities during practice wrestling matches." Vitani replied.
"Hey, I'm also observant."
"Could you please stop bragging? It's annoying." Vitani growled, "And get off me!"
"Who else can I act macho around?" Tika asked, innocently.
"Who else? You ask macho no matter who you're with!" Vitani roared, frustrated.
"Well, that lie was worth a try." Tika said.
"Can we back to Pride Rock now?" Vitani asked, "There's a root digging into my back."
The sun crept over the horizon when morning came, and the pride awakened to the new light.
Simba looked over his territory from Pride Rock to get a bird's eye view for anything amuck before beginning his morning rounds of the lands.
"Your majesty?" a voice said from behind.
Simba turned to face the visitor.
"Ah, Vitani and Tika." He said, "Can I help you?"
"Yes, as I matter of fact, you can." Vitani said, "I have vitised Rafiki, and he tells me that my fate may lie in the outlands. Should I ever return, I wish to be welcome if I do."
"I see." Simba said, "Well, there are no changes against you, so I don't see why not. When are you leaving?"
"As soon as I say my fair wells to Kovu." Vitani said.
Simba nodded in approval.
"Thank you, your majesty." Vitani said, bowing.
"And of you?" Simba said, noticing Tika.
"I'm going with her." Tika said.
"I see." Simba said, "Excuse me, but I have to take my rounds of the lands now. You'll find Kovu patrolling by the waterhole. Good luck to both of you."
"Yes, your majesty." Vitani replied.
With that, Simba left.
"Come, Tika, I have to say goodbye to my brother." Vitani said, annd headed in the direction of the waterhole.
"Yes, we'll say by to your handsome brother." Tika put in.
"Oh, no, you don't." Vitani said, "Your crush on him should be over, he's with Kiara now."
"He could've been mine." Tika said, poutingly.
"Could you please keep a quiet about that? Somebody might hear you." Vitani cautioned.
"Oh, like what would they do? I'm leaving, and will probably be gone for A LONG time."
"They could tell Kiara."
"Good point."
"How do you manage to be so smart half the time, and so dumb the other?" Vitani mumbled.
"I heard that." Tika said, tauntingly.
"You were supposed to."