Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Prideful Plains. Enjoy the 3200-word chapter. I don't own Lion King; Disney and a few others do.
Both Vitani and Akida slammed into the mud which caused them to rush forward. Their furs were slick with the wet dirt which was making them slow slightly. Both were curious how this fight would end up. They knew this was more than a simple fight, however.
"C'mon," Akida stated to which he shook his head. "I'm taking you down RIGHT NOW." Akida pointed out as he growled, eager to finish this fight.
Vitani grinned bearing her fangs at him. She dodged one of his lunges, trying one of her own. Akida fell backwards slightly, allowing Vitani to surge forward.
He was eager to fight. She was yearning in this fight just as much. She was just as willing to fight him as he was to her. It was just a matter of time before this happened. Now? She had gotten it.
"C'mon, I know you've wanted this fight," Vitani stated as she leapt backwards, eager to fight backwards. "Are you eager that something snapped in you? That you wanted this fight?" Vitani questioned before she smirked at him.
Akida growled before he lunged at her. He took a swipe that managed to knock her down before he leapt at her. They slammed into the mud, throwing it around them as both were busy fighting.
"You always wanted this fight, Vitani," Akida stated as they rolled around in this fight. "Used to follow me around, thinking of JUST how to continue to fight," Akida stated before he hummed, throwing Vitani backwards, his claws readied.
Vitani rolled onto her feet. There was plenty of logic to his words. It wasn't like she hadn't been yearning for this fight, but she wanted it all the same. There was too much fun to be had by simply waiting around. She wanted this battle, she wanted Akida to stop holding back and fight her as she had wanted.
However? It seemed that was a stupid dream since he never fought back… And until now? She had been annoyed that fight simply refused to happen no matter how much she tried.
Now? He was finally duelling her as most lions should and it was far more amusing than she could have had.
"Someone's finally acting like a lion and not a bird," Vitani said as she flipped onto her hind legs. "How's it feel? Not having to hold back, huh? You and I have fought before and you always do. Now you get to cut loose, do what you want. It's fun, isn't it? No rules on what lions get to do." Vitani said with a smirk as she and he began to circle each other when it came down to it.
Both wanted the duel to happen. Both were quite eager to see who won. If she won? Then she finally proved that she had defeated him and proved she was the superior one when it came down to it. However? If Akida was victorious? He'd be happy that he finally proved Vitani wasn't as strong as she thought.
"I'm guessing that this fight is over then?" Akida questioned an eyebrow raised as they circled each other like sharks. "You always want to prove something, Vi. It's ALWAYS something you want to prove. What is it? That dozens of lions can rule everything? That's what you always want to prove. It doesn't work, I don't think you realize that, because we aren't like how you think we are." Akida stated before he hummed.
Vitani rolled her eyes. She could see the glint of conflict within Akida's eyes. The urge to prove himself. It wasn't simply a good thing to where he was. It was more than that to him, and she knew that.
"Then why are you so ready to fight me, huh? Because you want to prove your right?" Vitani questioned before she leapt onto a rock, eager to finish this fight. "You want this fight more than I do. It's why you keep coming out and into this part of the area. If you didn't? You'd have found another place to come out and into the Pridelands. You always pick somewhere which sends you where I am and you know it." Vitani stated before she rolled her eyes at him.
Both knew the other. They were enjoying the conflict no matter how much they felt like trying to bury it. If it was so easy to do? Maybe this death match probably wouldn't be happening.
He leapt at Vitani with his claws raised to which she rolled backwards. Her smirk never faded as did his glare at the young lioness.
"You're not beating me, Vitani," Akida stated while he scraped his claws on the ground. "I've beaten you before in combat before when we did this, it's just going up like then," Akida stated while he cleared his throat.
He growled at her as best he could. This battle was annoying and she knew it. She was constantly pushing him to his limits even when it was sending him over the edge when it came down to it. She hadn't stopped him before, and she wasn't stopping him now. Not when it was this fun and by the blood of her family this was FUN.
"C'mon, Akida," Vitani stated while she started to scrape her claws along the growled as she smirked. "I know you want this battle just like I do," Vitani added with a fang-filled smirk.
He pounded towards her, managing to grab her slightly. She was fast, but she was also cocky which made it easier to stop and fight her when it came down to it.
"The only one who wants this fight is you," Akida stated while he tried to grapple the woman and looked at her. "If it was what you wanted so bad? Then why won't you come and fight? This isn't fun if you want the fight worse than I do yet you WON'T FIGHT." Akida stated while he tapped his claws on the ground.
She nodded and rushed at him as they continued their dance of death. He lashed out at her as she clawed back which almost threw him to the ground.
She tried to flip him to the ground only for him to pull her by her tail. Vitani yipped in pain before he slammed into her with his shoulder. She fumbled as he lashed out with his claws as well, knocking her to the soil.
"Your good, I'm just as good," Akida stated while he leapt onto another stone. "Why do you keep assuming I can't handle you in a fight?" Akida asked while he shook his head.
"You enjoy this as I do, Akida," Vitani responded while she leapt towards him.
He leapt back only for her to slam into him with the same amount of power that she had hit him with. The two lions collapsed into the mud. They panted as they glared at the other, exhausted for the moment.
"You're the one who started this battle, to begin with," Akida said to which Vitani rolled her eyes.
"Why do you want this battle so badly?" Akida asked while he raised an eyebrow. "Every single time we meet? We fight." Akida stated to which the lioness rolled her eyes.
She said nothing while she slowly started to pick herself up from the mud. Akida was fun to be around when it came down to it, but he was so much of a goody-two-shoes that it hurt. Still? Vitani was entirely ready to continue this game if she had to.
Akida would be lying if he stated what happened next. he was aware of what happened if he let her go… But it meant stopping her and a piece of him was entirely ready for another fight. He wanted more fights when it came down to it.
He wanted more of her company, but that meant that she would fight more. Both started to think of what they'd do next. If they ended their game? They'd be furious.
"How many times have we fought?" Akida asked while mud washed over his body. "We have battled over and over, throwing each other like logs," Akida stated while he slowly started to pull himself to his feet.
Vitani was silent, her fur was coated in mud and soaked to the bone. She panted as she slowly started to pull herself to her feet.
"Why do you keep pushing if you don't want a battle?" Akida heard from Vitani. "We both are part of this battle, Akida. Our paths are all twisted up all over." Vitani stated to which Akida had no real answer.
'She's right. I keep coming back for another fight even after I beat her in a fight or lose. I want to keep coming here when the dust settles and we both walk away.' Akida thought to himself before he shook his head.
Both lions lay in the mud, exhausted and hurt from their fight. The lions smirked to themselves before they slowly start to turn towards the other.
"If I enjoy battling you so much?" Akida stated before he started to roll his eyes towards the woman. "Then you are addicted to this the same way? You are the only lion who comes this way. The only reason that would be the case? You're going out of your way to come and find me. I don't and I do NOT enjoy this battling." Akida added before he cleared his throat.
Vitani was silent as the lion tried and failed to stand up. He wasn't wrong to think she went after him for a sense of amusement and a test of her skills. If there was indeed some reason behind said attempts to battle him? She'd have to research it.
"Maybe, Akida," Vitani stated to hurler more than her friend. "But it isn't a lie that you want this fight at the moment. I always see you around here. I know anytime you're here? You want me to find you, I know you want me to end up fighting me when it comes down to it." Vitani stated while Akida stayed silent and simply rolled his eyes.
'Ugh, I hate it when she ends up being at the end of the day. I HATE it so blasted much.' Akida thought to himself before he cleared his head of thoughts like that.
Vitani slowly climbed to her feet with an amused smokier on her face. She looked at Akida who was still starting to slowly to his feet. He looked at her with a defiant look on his muzzle as he seemed to slowly wait for her as she started to think if he wanted her to finish him off.
There was NO way she'd do it as she slowly started to push him to his feet. Vitani found him too funny to simply end this fight, to end this game she loved to play with Akida who said nothing. He pushed himself to his foot as he started to think of what this woman was going to do next.
'She's always a mysterious lioness when it comes down to it. I can never read her. It makes me wonder if she comes here with a plan at the moment… Or just makes it all up as she goes along to this plan.' Akida mentally stated before he shook his head and sighed.
"Aw. Is someone made their nice coat is all ruined?" Vitani teased before Akida growled and threw himself at her.
Akida felt himself leave the air and his back hit the deepest pools of the mud that they had thrown into. Vitani slammed him into the mud as their claws slashed into each other, fangs bared to feast on the other. Akida found no purchase to arrest his fall. No stone to cling to resist her lunge as he had been thrown into the mud.
'NO! NO! I'M NOT LOSING HERE!' Akida mentally growled as he felt more cuts rip into his shoulder blades while he sighed to himself.
He was slammed into the mud before he shook his head, his skull rattling in his brain as he struggled to regain his senses.
"You're so adorable. ~" Vitani purred as she perched atop the defeated Pridelander cub. "See?! THIS is what your like when you're not trying to be a goody-two-shoes. Doesn't it feel NICE to cut loose?" Vitani asked as she looked at herself.
Akida had clawed a few shallow cuts into her right shoulder and a small one on her left cheek. All of them would heal as would the ones she had inflected to his left shoulder and across his right jaw. They laid coated in mud which seeped across their pristine coats and into their wounds.
Akida had Vitani's left paw pressing his head into a pool of mud with his muzzle still visible. She knew he could still see her and try as he might? He didn't have the strength to lift his head.
"I… Hate you." Akida hissed which was greeted by her shaking her head.
"No," Vitani said as she bopped his muzzle with her tail. "Nope. Nadda. Negative, incorrect, Nah." Vitani said while Akida glared at her through the mud.
"You LOVE this. You WANT to cut loose like this. This energy from trying to beat me?" Vitani asked while she leaned down toward his ear. "This is what lions are like. Admit it. A small part of you? It LIVES for this as I do. It's why I come here all the time; I LIKE playing with you." Vitani said before Akida growled towards her.
He wanted to deny it, wanted to lie and roar that she had told a lie. He stared at her bright blue eyes which glared at him with a playful smirk that dared him to try and disagree. He wanted to challenge her further at the moment and force her to take it back. Akida felt he had no real energy left to argue or repel her argument.
"Fine…" Akida whispered as Vitani tilted her head playfully towards her 'playmate.'
"What was that? ~" Vitani purred towards his ear as he growled and gnashed his teeth.
"I SAID FINE!" Akida hissed with anger blaring towards her. "I DO like fighting you. It is nice to cut loose when you're not allowed." Akida stated while he growled to himself and rolled his eyes.
He stared through the thick watered-down dirt into the eyes of the lioness who was smirking. She knew that he was rather overjoyed by her dual victory over the duo at this moment.
"Are we done?" Akida asked as he finally managed to push her from his head but not of him. "Well? I think we're done here." Akida stated while he frowned to himself and rolled his eyes.
She said nothing as the taste of her victory seemed to flood her moth. There was so much annoyance in him that he couldn't express it at her. Akida knew in her mind that she had won because he had simply hadn't denied the fact that he liked these types of battles.
Still? He felt like he had thrown a weight from his chest at the end of the day. He didn't want to admit it but now that he did? It felt rather nice and enjoyable when he considered it. His loss was not so much.
"We aren't," Vitani said before she smirked to herself before Akida kicked her off. "C'mon," Vitani stated as she dared him to come after her.
He did so with anger in his eyes as he raced after her. The two lions traipsed around the area like they were dancing. There was a level of amusement in their eyes as both started their fight anew.
Vitani grinned as Akida lunged towards her with his claws extended. He wanted to battle her when she looked at him and there was a new rage and eagerness when it came down to it.
She wanted that rage. This was denied from her for too long and she would not have it. Her mother wanted the Pridelands and she craved the battle of the other Lionesses.
And when she gazed at Akida which leapt at her and dg his growing claws into the stone? She saw that chance for the battle she wanted so badly.
She grinned and tackled him down into the mud only for him to throw him into the swampy water. He slammed into her as they started to brawl anew. Both lions didn't spare a drop of their energy as they tackled each other and snapped and clawed at the other.
Akida felt one of Vitani's paws smack him in the face which made his left eye sting as he tried to force himself through the pain. He pushed Vitani into a stone which almost threw her to the ground as he did so. He swung a paw at her which was blocked and he was headbutted backwards.
It didn't stop him from throwing himself into her again with all the force a lion cub had. It helped that he was still as big as her at the end of the day. This battle was far from over and he seemed to know it more than anything.
Did she want a battle? He'd blasted make one she wasn't able to deny at all. She wasn't going to forget the battle at the end of the day.
Each Lion knew in a few hours? Their parents were to come after them and drag them away. It wasn't something either wanted and it was not something either dared to mention.
Still? It happened if they wanted it or not. Both were rather starved of battle at the end of the day. They'd both be returning home with at least a few dozen new bruises which weren't to be explained at the end of the day.
They were not to be denied for a few hours when it came down to it. neither was aware why when it came down to it. Both wanted this battle more than anything.
Neither knew they'd be returning in a few hours to do this all over again at the end of the day. If they did? They'd draw the battle out far longer than it was at the moment.
Then again? If they did? It would probably ruin her plan which made her wonder if she'd have to add more steps between them. They were already on track for it to end up with both interested in this topic.
Author Notes
Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point out that these chapters will be longer when it came down to it. The next chapter will be in 2-10 months and will set up the next battle/encounter and the time skip. The next chapter will be in 900-6500 words and such. It will also show more of their bond when it comes to it. The next chapter will be delayed at the moment. Lighting Wolf out!