I.
After having made it through the Outlands,with a small majority of the lionesses muttering haunted remarks of their past there,most of the Pridelanders were compliant in travelling across the desert.
Kiara noticed Kovu was in one of his distant moods and therefore decided to keep at the heels of the lions in order to observe some of the other animal mothers keeping all their young in close range.
One leopard picked up on the teenager's interest."You don't need to look so worried yet,Princess.Actually wait until after their here."
"Easy for you to say."An ostrich mother of sixteen told her,slipping a look of mock envy down at the two cubs in front of the large cat.
They all erupted into laughter.Kiara moved further into the crowds with an unsettling thought.If they were inable to reach their new utopia of a land,then she would never get to be a mother herself.
"So,your the princess I hear?"
She shook out of her reverie to see the young lion from before,a modest and somewhat insecure smile on his face.They were in the center now while the other lionesses talked amongst themselves.
"That's right,I'm Kiara,"Was her polite reply."And you are...?"
"Tu."The lion answered,seeming to gain a bit more confidence.
"Tu...?Like the number two?"She felt slightly awkward then.
"Or Tu..."Kovu suddenly appeared between them and in the other noticably more timorous lion's face."As in too many number twos."
"No..."he swallowed hard."Just...Tu."
"Kovu,"Kiara interrupted,annoyed."I know this is really hard on us, but can't you both just get along?"They locked eyes as he turned.
"Sorry."His apology fell out in a weary sigh and she lifted her head to rub up against his face."I'm just stressed as everyone must be."
And the two stepped forward away from the estranged lion.
x.x.x
"It's in his upbringing to be naturally suspicious like that,"A slightly older lioness with bright blue eyes made it a point to explain to Tu.
"I don't blame him though,I really did come unannounced."
"You make it sound like it's personal or something."she snickered good-naturedly and then,more seriously."A lot of us are use to this type of rough going,it'll be more difficult for those unaccustomed to living like this.Of course,I am referring to the generation before us."
"All the more reason to hope we get to the Inlands quickly.So,"he raised a brow."Getting slightly off-topic,what are you known by?"
"Just like that,huh?No poise,no game of hard to get?Well,I suppose I can tell you since you seem to have a boundless curiosity.Vitani."
Tu's interest was piqued."And,Vitani,was your pride ever divided?"
She tilted her head back,brows lowering."At one time."
"Why is that?I mean,what happened to the one who caused it?"
"I rather not talk about that."
He nodded his understanding."That's all right.Another time then."
The lioness continued on ahead of him and his interest only grew,
x.x.x
Simba kept walking with what felt like a solid wall of animals behind him and the knowledge that they were all together was reassuring to the heavy hearted lion,as was the coming of a cool desert night. Reaching a rocky outcropping,he turned to Zazu atop his shoulder.
"Go inform the animals we'll be resting here for the night."
"Yes,sire.At once."
"I'll take the lionesses to assist any weaker animals,"Nala told her husband."I so hope we can make this journey with few casualties."
He gave a nod at that."Go then.Nala,wait...where's that lion?"
"Behind the other lions,"she caught on to his meaning."Tu will have to guide us in the morning.It's odd,but he seems so familiar to me."
"Have you ever heard of these Inlands he's talked about?"
"Not at all,"Nala sighed and turned to the other lionesses looking at her patiently,she glanced back at Simba before leading them away.
The lion then turned to his suavely grinning meerkat friend."Bugs by the bucket fulls."Timon informed him,holding up an armful of insects.
"Enough to feed thirty warthogs."Pumbaa chimed in heartily.
"But not enough to feed an entire kindgom."Simba reproved calmly.
Both glumly dropped their findings at his paws in one huge heap.
"Oh,great!"Timon complained loudly."Now we have janitor duty!"
II.
As twilight fell into a star-lit blackness,Kovu tired of waiting near the edge of the jutting rock formation for Kiara to return and went to wander inside of it on a path that looked strangely hollowed out.
Places where an animal's horn could have chiseled at what had to of been a relentless pace marked many places in the cavern- esque stone.Through marvelling,Kovu emerged to a high point overlooking all of the other animals situating themselves according to their size.
The elephants on the outer circle,with the smallest,youngest and of course the weakest in the very center.Shadowy silhouettes of large cactuses that bustled needles surrounded the affiliation.Ingenious.
He,himself,knew he could not ever organize something like this.For even though Kovu knew the interworkings of plans well and could follow them,he couldn't come up with his own.Therein lied doubts.
His true doubts if he could ever make a sufficent king.
"Long day,"Simba commented as he took up residency a foot or so from his son-in-law,gazing down at the resting animals."Very long."
"That it has."Kovu agreed,feeling puzzled as they didn't often talk.
"I suppose my Kiara's told you about the Great Kings of the past?"
He briefly glanced up at the star blazened sky,from somewhere in his mind the memory stirred a bit."I think she might've at one time."
"My father told me the night before he died that not all of the kings were the same..."Simba allowed the sentence to trail."Or perfect.I know I'm certainly not.But he told me the importance of the future. Our entire kingdom depends on how much we pay attention to it."
The younger lion listened more closer now.
"Kovu,I'm not expecting perfection out of either of you.You've taken your place in the Circle Of Life along with Kiara.That's a commitment you'll have to fulfill when my time comes when your day will arrive."
"Thank you,"He replied after forethought,trying his best to feel just as reassured as he was able to look and sound.It didn't quite work.
The queen suddenly appeared behind them and Simba bidded him goodnight before following her inside to retire for the night.Kovu was about to go in himself when someone caught his scarless eye.
It was that strange lion who had approached Kiara earlier in that evening.He sat on a lower rise by himself,his face with no emotion.
Kovu gave a small grunt of distrust before continuing on his way.
x.x.x
Vitani looked down from the highest summit of the outcropping,her eyes set on the lion she had encountered a few hours ago.He sat with a sort of slump,as if burden were literally weighing him down.
"Don't leave,"his voice haltered her."I could use the company."
"Oh?"Unaccustomed to being anyone's "company",she came over to sit beside him.Strangely,a dry taste kept her tongue from moving up.
"I've just been thinking of the lush green Inlands,"Tu said in a voice that instantly sent a brillant image in Vitani's mind,which she allowed herself to capture."Trees and grass cover every last inch of the soil.
Water,"he continued dramatically."So clear you can see the bottom."
"Sounds more like a dream then a reality."
"A girl like you can dream,can't she?"Tu argued with a laugh.
"I'll have you know I'm more lioness then cub,"Vitani said crisply.
"Because of your past,I'm guessing?"
She suddenly grew wary."Any particular reason you keep bringing a subject that's over and done with up?Focus is on the here and now."
His head suddenly arched down in the deep shadows of night which caused Vitani to become aware of her surroundings.It seemed to her that the faint shafts of chilly wind were whispering little voices filled with terror,giving way to a forebodingness that gave her shudders.
"You're getting cold,"Tu observed."Why don't you go back inside?"
"I'm not the only one."Vitani replied shrewdly."I can feel that you've got just as much to shiver and shudder about as anyone does."she stood up and kept her gaze deliberate."What do you have to hide?"
"What?"He asked in confusion.
"You heard me,"she said."Why did you just suddenly appear at the time of the plague?It couldn't have been a coincedence.At the speed they were flying at,there was no way you could've matched theirs.Or did you somehow obtain superspeed from drinking your holy water?"
Tu didn't face her at her accusatory nature,but at her sarcasticness.
"I got here days in advance."he explained."No one would even think to consider that what I told them was true,except for that baboon."
Vitani composed herself from appearing overcome,she still had a few questions for him."That doesn't explain why your here.We're right in the midst of regrowing,or we were.How else do you fit into all this?"
"What a third degree."The lion smiled bemusedly to himself."If only you could now the time I had the day I was brought to this desert."
"The day-?"She began repeating.
"Yeah,"he nearly snapped on her."I was one of the cubs ready to be elimated out here in these sand dunes by that tyrant of a lion,Scar."
"Excuse me?"
"You know,"his voice was still hot."The day he chose heirs."
Vitani remembered that day vaguely.She and Kovu had been among four other potenial cub heirs,since Scar had no blood relations other then he had had through Simba and Mufasa.Kovu had been chosen as the male heir and the queen was postponed.That's all she knew.
"Don't you understand,Vitani?He didn't want any competition for the crown when he died and so he decided to destroy the reject cubs.I was barely a two weeks old and I can remember their screaming voices."
Her breath caught.She could have been one,had she been?
"I was rescued,"Tu said with finality."Right at this very spot by lions of the Inlands.The only reason I've returned is because I remember my mother and sister.Unforunately,I can't remember who they are."
"And yet you remember Scar?"
"He's the only one.But I knew someday I would have to return."
"How did you know you wouldn't be executed?"
"I was ready to fight him for the throne."he grinned at her."Though it looks as though someone beat me to it.I was ready for liberation."
She looked away before feeling his nose rub against her cheek.
"I'm going to lead you to your future,"Tu whispered softly."I'm going to make it up to you and the rest of you who have lived very poorly."
For the first time in her life,Vitani gave her whole heart to someone.
Her whole self.To a lion she barely knew,yet felt she fully knew.
To be continued...
A/N:Sorry this took so long to write,but I've got a lot more in store then this so be ready.XD
LP