"I kissed a girl (And I liked it)"
By: Gabriel LaVedier
Chapter four. All the pieces are in place. The lies, the bigotry, the deception. All put out. What few good things there were are struggling to be seen behind the horror of rigid duty and mindless conformity. Now the players line up for the last stand. No one knows what will emerge from the bloody battlefield. But all are willing to risk it to find out. AS a personal note, thank you to all the commenters. It means a lot. And thanks for the point to cute Vitani/Kiara stuff. It was lovely.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. I have nothing. I claim no infringement.
Chapter Four: Don't mean I'm in love… Right?
The ranks of lions gathered in the rain, paws splattering mud around with each heavy, purposeful step. The well-fed lionesses of Pride Rock strode out with a regal will, their muscles moving smoothly beneath tawny pelts. The stringy lionesses of the Outlands slid forward hungrily, their starved eyes flashing, vicious claws raking the muddy ground. Among the ranks walked the new Chosen. Not meant to rule, meant to destroy. She was the avenging fury, the instrument of Zira's wrath. As she commanded, the beast obeyed. Her claws were stained in blood, of poached animals and failed Outland agents. She had turned herself into a monster, to banish feeling from her heart. Vitani growled, not in anger, but it frustration. No matter her crime, no matter the viciousness, it was in there still. A feeling locked in her chest, that let out a little ray of light, and burned her impure heart. She knew it was wrong. But there was nothing to be done.
"Where's your pretty daughter, Nala?" She meant t to sound vicious. To sound mocking and just slightly menacing. But with all the growl her throat could muster, all the ice her eyes could command, all the menace her body could exude, she could not change what the words were. Those who suspected something only had their suspicions confirmed, and those that didn't found the choice of words curious, given her position. She should have been asking after her traitorous brother, not the one who led him astray. His betrayal was a more immediate concern.
Zira was upon her agent in a flash, cuffing the side of her head with a murderous growl. "Fool! Who cares about that little brat? Where is Kovu!? Where is the traitor who has turned his back on all he was ever taught? Where is my son?"
"I don't know. I just don't know…" Nala responded, looking at the Outland side, a curious expression on her face as she directly answered Vitani's question.
Zira shot a sharp look at Nala, but then looked aside quickly, her expression growing more horrible, and more strained, as though she was holding something back. "You can't keep track of your child, and yet you still presume to care for her. What a good mother you must be, Nala."
"Hurt me all you want, Zira. She's not here, and she should be." Nala didn't look at the other lioness, but merely stood close to her mate. Close, but not touching.
Vitani lashed her tail in consternation. She wanted to fight. To conquer. To kill. Anything to forget what she couldn't have. If she wasn't allowed happiness, then she'd fill herself to the hilt with everything darker and more horrible. It would never fill the void, of that she was well aware. She accepted the emptiness in her life. All the better. It would drive her to do her horrible acts. Make her forget how wrong it was. The gaping hole in her life would be her muse, and make certain she kept acting as she was meant to, by her mother's command.
"No matter. We are here. That will be enough. If we cannot kill the traitor, then we will slaughter those here, and take our rightful place!" Zira snarled at the Prideland side and slowly started to stalk forward. "Leave Nala to me. The rest of you… Kill."
The command was eagerly obeyed, Vitani leaping first into the fray, all the other Outland warriors quickly following. Zira kept to the rear, her burning eyes focused on Nala, who was shielded by Simba, though more from his action than any she took.
The armies clashed, and clashed hard, claws out, raking at toughened hides, fangs biting at tawny pelts. In the midst of the fray, a warthog and meerkat dashed about, creating chaos and battering the Outland side around without doing much genuine damage. Within the mad whirl of the battle, whipping up the mud and blood, was Vitani. She was truly a monster, battering at skulls, swiping at eyes, biting for throats. The Prideland lionesses were wise enough to keep out of her reach, and to come up around her where she was not looking to swipe or butt at her. It only made her angrier. Her savage roar, filled with hate and pain whose source was well known to most, echoed across the grasslands, further than the tumult of the rest of the battle.
It traveled far enough to perk the ears of the one who gave it form. Whose actions had nursed and tended the sorrow and suffering until they had grown into the mad cry. Kiara looked up, aware of what she was hearing. "Vitani…"
"What?" Kovu looked aside at Kiara, having led her away from the site of the battle, intending to pretend he had never known about the fight that was going on.
"I heard her. She's out there. And…" She didn't go on. Just stared off into the distance.
"She's mad. I know it. Ever since Nuka died she's been more upset than usual. She just doesn't understand. This is the way it has to be. I'm sad for him too. But I can't just wallow in it. I need to move forward. Otherwise, what's the point of living?" The words flowed, slippery and sincere-sounding, backed by a look that was downcast but strong.
"No. It's more. I have to see her…" Kiara wanted to hesitate. To sink into the reassuring normalcy of the explanation. But there was too much pain in the cry. Too much anger. And knowing she was the author of it, she could only run towards it, with Kovu hot on her heels.
The battle was hot and thick when the two of them arrived, the muddy field stained with blood, the wounded hanging back and watching their fresher sisters give and take more damage. It was a churning maelstrom of violence and mayhem, the participants tired from the battle but unwilling to stop, lest their opponents come and take advantage of their halt. In the middle of it, mildly wounded, but fighting on, strong as ever, was Vitani, shrieking still. At that sight, Kiara was shocked. The one who she… Was just a monster there, with an expression on her face made of pure hatred. And pain. "Vitani!"
The voice… It was the last thing she wanted to hear. It was the one thing she most needed to hear. She halted her paws and turned her head to see her across the battlefield. With him., But away from him. Looking straight at her. "Kiara!"
The touch of blue eyes on her green orbs, a familiar stare that she had one come to expect as part of her day like the rise of the sun, broke her hesitation. She ran into the crush of battle, focused on the glowing blue of those pained, dark-ringed eyes. "Vitani!"
Vitani ignored the urging of her outland sisters to continue her crazed battle, and similarly ignored the wary approach of the Prideland lionesses. She just ran for the voice. The voice that was making the unwanted glow in her heart swell. "Kiara! Get out of here! What do you think you're doing?"
"I… I really don't know…" Kiara responded, laughing carelessly and leaping through the muddy field.
"You really are such a princess. But… AH!" The statement, made with increasing softness of voice, was cut short sharply, by a vicious cuff across the face from Kovu, who had snuck around the rest of the lionesses, avoiding Kiara's focused gaze until he struck.
"Ha! Take that! Enemy of the Pridelands! You evil creature! Have another one!" Another heavy blow landed on Vitani's face, pushing it hard into the mud beneath her fallen body.
"Kovu! What are you doing?" Kiara ran up beside her ostensible lover, attempting to stay his paw. But still, he beat his sister one more time.
"I have to, Kiara. She's the enemy. She's hear as my evil mother's right paw. She did it for power and greed. She wants it all. Now that I'm out and Nuka's gone, she can have it all."
Vitani's world reeled after the three hard knocks. She felt great explosions of pain and saw bursts of color. But the words were not an illusions caused by being knocked about. Kovu was cleaning himself up, and abusing her to do it. She placed her forepaws on the muddy ground and shoved up as hard as she could, knocking her thin shoulders in against Kovu as she popped up. "You!" Her eyes burned with rage, and her teeth ground in hatred. "I wasted my whole life in service to you! I was ordered to help you succeed at everything!"
"I don't… I have no idea what you're talking about." Kovu attempted to look wounded and innocent, making eyes at Kiara and glaring at his sister in turn.
"Save it, you monster! You know well I was the one who set the fire. Me and Nuka. Mother wanted you to look like a hero and we had to obey." Now she was speaking to a disbelieving Kiara. "I had no choice, she made me do it with her power over our lives."
"And now you're blaming your dread brother and your own mother. You're a liar and a beast. Kiara! Don't listen to her! You can hear just how horrible she is."
"Vitani! Stop talking about such things. Return to the battle right this instant." Zira halted in her assault on Simba, glaring daggers at her instrument of annihilation.
"No mother. Now I can't stop. Oh and you, mother… You made it all happen." Vitani snarled towards her mother, looking back at Zira. "You made me sacrifice my dreams, my hopes, my childhood, my health, my world and myself. All for him. You even… Even sacrificed Nuka, your own son, my own brother, to him. And worst of all, you never loved either of us."
"It was always about putting Kovu on the throne, and you know that. Traitor though he is, he is still my favorite. He is still the chosen one."
A harsh, hateful laugh echoed around the quiet battlefield. Vitani shook her head and glared at Kovu. "Her favorite. You, a traitor, her favorite. I did everything she asked, no matter how distasteful or horrid. Did it all to show that I was a worthy fury. And you, you just need to breathe to be acceptable. I'll fix that right now!" Suddenly, Vitani lunged at Kovu, aiming for his throat.
"Disobedient wretch! Must I be surrounded by traitors? Die!" Zira abandoned her attempt at Nala, thundering her way over Kiara, Vitani and Kovu. She leaped at her daughter, battering her side with her head. The two fell into a tangled heap of flailing limbs, flashing claws and gnashing teeth.
The two scrapped and tumbled without much effect, as Kovu and Kiara looked on. Kiara looked over to the male who had spent so long courting her, to see how he reacted. There was… a smile on his face. A tiny grin, as his eyes focused on the two trying to kill each other. He had reason to despise both, she realized. His mother had tried to use him, and he had followed along, for his own gain. And he hated his sister… Because she genuinely loved the woman he needed to get in order to worm his way onto the peak of Pride Rock.
Something snapped in her. She suddenly had to protect Vitani. To make up for some small sliver of all the hurt she had caused. The very least she could do was push Zira away. She lunged, hard, catching Zira when she had pulled away from Vitani to prepare for a powerful pounce. How ironic. Kovu's training came in handy. She struck Zira with force that matched the swirling mix of emotions of emotions within her. All the anger and self-loathing, the shame at being led down a traditional path for nothing.
The slick mud and light weight of Zira's toned body made the attack travel quite a distance. All the way over a nearby cliff. Both lionesses barely had time to cry before they went out of sight. At a moment, Vitani was there, staring over the edge, to see that the two had dug their claws into the rocky face of the cliff, not too far down. Both were scratching hard with their hind legs, their claws unable to find purchase on any of the small juts. She could reach down and aid one up with her forelimbs and by the scruff. But with the pain of clawing and strain of pulling, she could never save both.
"Vitani! Save your mother! You must rescue me so that we may continue out glorious conquest!" Zira strained hard, attempting to pull herself up, her teeth gritting between each word.
"Vitani, please… Save me. Please Vitani… Don't let me die." Kiara looked up with huge, fearful eyes. Moist with tears, quivering slightly. A beautiful green.
"Don't listen to her! Remember what she did. Yes, daughter. I knew. I suspected. And then I knew. I know what she did. Don't save her. She'll just hurt you again. Be rid of her and we can sweep over the Prideland forces and take our rightful place."
"I know I hurt you. I did it by my choice. You're right to hate me. Curse me, spit at me, shove me off and leave me to die. But please show me you still care like you used to."
Her accursed, black heart burned, raked with the light of her feelings. The pain throbbed in her chest, surging through her body. She remembered. The meeting, the play, the kiss. The first day. The day she had come alive. But she also remembered the dark day. The cold words, the silent dismissal, the beginning of an obedience to the dictates of tradition. The day she had died. Life and death, from one being. All without thought. She never intended to bring life to a hopeless soul; and, Vitani wanted to believe most desperately, never meant to bring down ruination on the very same.
"You must save me! If for no other reason, if not for conquest or for glory, I am still your mother!" The furious cry echoed through the canyon that threatened to swallow up both hanging lionesses.
"Whatever you do…" Kiara said, quietly, contrite tears in her eyes, "I hope you remember what I do. That you saved my life that day."
Vitani stared down at Kiara in disbelief. "You knew?"
A smile. "I always knew."
There was no hesitation in the following movement. Vitani leaned down and offered her forelegs, while opening her mouth. Kiara gave one hard yank on the rocks her claws had caught and pulled herself up just slightly, losing all contact with the wall. Her paws came back down against Vitani's, and her nape was soon enough caught in Vitani's mouth. With much grunting and effort, Kiara was slowly dragged up onto the top of the cliff again.
Simba and Nala, along with Kovu, ran to the cliff side, the males eagerly watching Kiara's panting, trembling form.
"Kiara? Are you ok?" Temporarily forgetting the manner of his daughter's salvation, and what it meant about her orientation, Simba played the concerned dad, leaning in to look at his quivering little girl.
"I'm f-fine, daddy. Vitani was there for me." She sighed lightly and looked to the indicated lioness, a smile on her pretty face.
"Kiara… I'm so glad you're alright. I was worried that you might…" Kovu leaned down and very rudely nuzzles at Kiara's neck, looking up at Vitani with hate in his eyes, a look missed by the others.
Kiara seemed to lean into the nuzzling, getting slowly to her feet, with Kovu remaining pressed against her neck. She sat back on her haunches and lowered her head slightly, Kovu stepping away with a smile. Kiara looked up, no one speaking for the space of a few moments. Then Kiara reached up, apparently to caress Kovu's face. However, her paw shot out and viciously cuffed Kovu across the face, claws in. He fell to the side with a heavy thud, looking shocked at the surprising strength of the hit. "You touch me again, and I will tear your throat out with my own claws."
"What? Kiara? What are you..?" Kovu started getting up, a hurt, innocent look on her face.
"Save it. You never cared for me. Only my position. You lied to me, twisted my brain around, turned me into what you needed to get onto Pride Rock. Now get away from me. I can't stand the sight of you."
"How can you say that, Kiara? How could you possibly mean that?"
Kiara lifted up one of Vitani's forepaws. Deep claw marks dug into it, and blood lightly dripped from them. Her tough flesh wasn't, of course, indestructible. "Because you're not bleeding for me. You saw me fall. You stood there while Vitani was choosing. She injured herself for me. She's bleeding for me. She cared."
"No, no, come…"
"Just stop now, Kovu. It's over." Vitani leaned in and pressed her muzzle against Kiara's neck, rubbing gently with her eyes closed. She looked just… Relieved. All the weight of the world off her shoulders.
While all that was happening, Nala had walked away. On seeing that her daughter was alright, she went slowly over to the side of the cliff. There was Zira, clinging tight. Her life of desperate survival had left her strong enough to hold on for a good, long while. Certainly far longer than her daughter could have. "If I offered you my help, would you take it?"
Zira actually laughed, a surprisingly soft sound, almost a normal laugh, like any other lioness might make. She smiled up at Nala. Not her usual murderous grin. But a gentle expression. "You know that I can't. And you know why."
Nala chuckled softly, and nodded. "I knew it. Well, I guess we have to part. Kwaherii, Zira." With that, Nala turned slowly and began to walk away.
"Ninakupenda, Nala." Zira said it just loud enough to be heard by Nala, before there was a sound of scraping claws, followed soon enough by a splash into the river.
Nala cringed at hearing that, eyes squeezed tight, a little moisture at the corner of her eyes. "Ninakupenda, Zira. Ninakupenda."
- - -
"It's time, dearest. Are you ready?" Many days later. The two clans had finally come together as one. All the Outland lionesses now lived at Pride Rock. Simba, having finally understood what his daughter felt and how sincere she was, now allowed her to be together with Vitani. And had, at his mate's urgings, stepped down from his position, abdicating his position to grant it to his daughter. A young queen. But having been through so much in her life.
"I am." Kiara looked so terribly nervous. She was trembling, and breathing hard. Her claws reflexively flexed in and out as she paced the base of the great rock.
"Don't be so nervous, dearest. This will all go well. Just remember, be confident. Be strong." Nala leaned in and nuzzled at her daughter. "Now go. Go and take the place you desired."
Kiara gave one huge sigh, shook her head and started up. Each step was slow and deliberate, climbing up with a regal appearance. She hid her nervousness very well, not even trembling though she desired to. She could see the peak, and the baboon waiting for her. He was still employed, but knew better than to try to say anything at all. He was in deep trouble, so his job was to nod his head, do what little spiritual things he wanted to, and to no longer spread his propaganda.
Rafiki bowed, very low, eyes kept cast down to the ground. "Your highness."
Kiara looked out at the broad sweep of the Pridelands. Everything the light touched. That was all hers. She had been marked as the queen. Now only one thing remained. And butterflies in her stomach were fluttering as she contemplated it. "Now, where is..?"
"Hold it, Pridelander…" The command was firm, but the voice was soft. A bit of rough rumbling flowed through it, but that just made the voice stronger, richer, and far more lovely. A silky purr thrummed through the area, a heavy rumble of pure joy.
Kiara turned slowly, her breath growing even quicker as she saw what she was expecting. A thin-toned lioness, dark fur, dark-ringed eyes with deep blue irises. This was it. "What is it, Outlander?"
"It's not easy making friends in the Outlands. And I want to be friends with you, Kiara." She slid up to the other lioness, gliding her thin body against the queen. "I want to be… Special best friends with you, Kiara. Do you want to be my special best friend too?"
Kiara shivered a little bit, her eyes going half-lidded. She responded quietly, just a whisper of a word. "No."
"What?" Vitani halted in her rubbing, looking aside at Kiara. "No?"
"No. I don't want to be special best friends with you." She moved swiftly, bringing her face close to Vitani's. "I want to be your mate. Forever." Their lips pressed together, a shiver running through their bodies as they melded together as one.
A huge cheer rose up from the crowds arranged before Pride Rock who had been invited to see this. They watched the hunched figure near the pair, who, without much passion, threw a handful of dust over them, and then a handful of leaves, shaking his staff and saying, "I affirm you, Vitani, Princess Consort of the Pridelands. The bride of our queen…"
~The End