A lioness sat atop Pride Rock in silence, gazing out at the savannah. It was almost dawn, and she was watching the sun rise on the horizon. She was alone right now, but she didn't mind; the other lions were asleep and she didn't want to wake them. She unconciously flicked her tail back and forth as she stared into space, just thinking. Thinking about how she got here. Thinking about her father. . . and mother, and new family. After that nasty buisness with Zira went down quite a while ago, she had gained new friends. She purred contently at her life and a grin slipped onto her muzzle. She closed her eyes briefly and breathed in the cool wind that came from her left, gently ruffling her fur. When her eyes opened, her fuzzy, sensitive ears picked up the padding of another lion. She didn't bother turning around; she knew who her visitor was just by hearing her yawn.
"Kiara?" came Vitani's rough morning voice. "What are you doing out here so early-" She shuffled to Kiara's side and leaned into her. "And all alone?" She seemed to wake up a bit more as she raised her head and added, "Is something wrong?" Kiara shook her head and stood up.
"No. I'm uh, fine." she replied awkwardly. "I've just been thinking." Vitani was silent for a moment.
"How long have you been up, Princess?" she asked. "I turned over in my sleep and you weren't there. . . that's why I woke up. I thought something happened, so I got up to check on you."
"I'm fine." Kiara answered again, looking out on the horizon. Vitani frowned and looked her mate over once. To anyone else, Kiara would have just looked a little distracted, but Vitani saw somethng else. Something strange. Something disturbng. Something she didn't like.
"You're not okay." the former Outlander said softly, nuzzling her head into Kiara's neck. She pulled back slowly and Kiara faced her. "Talk to me."
"It's nothing." the native Pridelander sighed heavily, looking down at her paws. "It's dumb. . . really. I-It doesn't matter." Vitani let out a frustrated growl and put her right paw ontop of the younger lion's. Kiara looked down and then back up to meet Vitani's gaze.
"Kiara, do you know you're the most important thing in the world to me?" the dusty brown lioness admitted. The golden brown lioness, now wearing a coy grin, nodded back.
"You've told me before, Tawni." she said, trying to move her paw away.
"Then you know nothing that worries you is dumb to me." Vitani said, putting a little more pressure her mate's paw. "I love you and I wanna help you, no matter how big or small or stupid you think the problem is." She lovingly licked the younger lioness' cheek and murmured, "Tell me what's wrong." Kiara looked straight ahead and was quiet for quite a while. She closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip before replying.
"Kovu." she said softly. Kovu? "And-"
"My brother?" Vitani questioned. She quickly went into defensive mode. "Did he hurt you? What did that idiot do?" Kiara lowered her head and began to stalk away.
"He didn't do anything, it's just . . ." she muttered, trailing off with a groan. Vitani's ears perked up as she tried to listen, and her paws instincively followed Kiara. The younger lioness padded down Pride Rock with an eager follower on her heels. They traveled in silence for a while, and when they were well away from their home, down at the water hole, Kiara spoke again.
"It's not Kovu entirely." she sighed, laying beside the water's edge. "It's just. . . now that Kovu and I are-"
"Done?" Vitani declared proudly, taking a place beside the younger lion. She was happy that she was the one Kiara cuddled into at the end of the day, that she was the one Kiara snuck kisses to when Simba wasn't looking, and she was the one protecting her Princess.
"Yes, Tawni." Kiara continued. "Now that he and I aren't together. . . I've been worrying about how the kingdom and the other lioness' will take-"
"You and him breaking up?" Vitani cut in, genuinely confused. "That shouldn't matter. I mean, I know those birds and the gazelles have no lives outside of gossip, but they shouldn't be that concerned about you two, right?"
"I couldn't care less about what they think about me and Kovu." Kiara sighed, looking at her reflection in the water.
"Then what's wrong?"
"I'm. . . I'm just worried they won't react well to-" Kiara looked back up and gazed into Vitani's blue eyes. "Us. A-As a couple, you know?" The ex-Outlander breathed a quiet "oh" and rested her head on her front paws.
"Kiara, it'll be fine." she assured her mate.
"How do you know that?" Kiara asked, getting up on four paws. She started to pace along the waterline. "I mean, I don't know anyone else like us in the whole savannah. . . I don't know how everyone's gonna take it." Vitani rose to her paws as well, but sat down; she was still kinda tired.
"I know for a fact the Outlanders won't have a problem with it." she said. Kiara stopped pacing and turned to Vitani with surprise.
"You. . . you mean they're. . .?" Kiara stammered, tilting her head to the side. Vitani chuckled and nodded.
"Most of them. . ." she smiled. "Why do you think Kovu and Nuka were the only guys in the pride? Why do you think they did whatever my mother told 'em to?" She chuckled again. "Why do you think they're all so close now?" Kiara took some time to think about it, then let out an embarassed purr.
"Well, I never thought of it that way." she admitted with a grin. Her grin quickly dissapeared. "But what about the Prideland lions? What about Timon and Pumba-" A fit of laughter escaped Vitani's mouth as a smile slipped onto her muzzle. Kiara rolled her eyes as the dusty brown lioness fell over and into the grass, on the verge of happy, laughing tears.
"I get it, I get it." Kiara gave, giving up a giggle. Vitani calmed herself down and regained her composure, working her way into an upright position. "But what about my father-"
"And mother?" Vitani finished in a sigh. To the older lioness' surprise, Kiara shook her head no.
"Not my mother." she explained. "She kinda. . .already knows about us. . ." Vitani's jaw dropped and her eyes grew wide.
"She. . . y-you. . . I. . . wait. . ." she stuttered out. "When did you tell her?"
"I didn't tell her exactly. . ." Kiara started. "Umm-" Her ears lowered embarassedly. "Do you remember when we left camp a few nights ago for some. . . alone time?" Vitani let out a pleased purr and laughed. She moved to a spot beside Kiara and placed a loving lick under her chin.
"I remember, Baby." she said, nuzzling her muzzle against Kiara's. The younger lioness' ears lowered even more and she laughed nervously.
"Well, my Mom went looking for us that night." she said. "And she kinda overheard me when you were uh. . ." She trailed off and looked away, clearing her throat. Vitani froze for a moment, in shock.
"Oh my God. . ." she whispered. Kiara chuckled nervously.
"Yeah, she told me the next morning. She knows. . ." she said. "But she's perfectly fine with it." Vitani shook off the shock and smiled.
"Is she, now?" she asked. Kiara nodded and Vitani stood up.
"Well, that's one down, right?" she said hopefully. "And I'm positive Simba won't have a problem with it either." Kiara looked down, unsure. Vitani sighed and touched her nose to her mate's cheek.
"You're his little girl; he loves you to death." she said. "He only wants to see you happy, right? And-" She pulled back to gaze directly into the other female's eye's. "I make you happy, right?" Kiara nodded without hesitation.
"Then he'll be fine." Vitani concluded. "And if not-" She smirked. "We can start a pride of all our own." Kiara laughed and shook her head.
"Your brother said the same thing." she told Vitani, starting back towards Pride Rock. Vitani walked on her right side, mirroring her steps.
"Well, my brother's not a complete idiot, I guess." she murmured. Kiara giggled again and flicked Vitani's side with her tail. The overall mood of this walk was much better than their first one. As they began to ascend Pride Rock, Kiara looked up into the sky and her paws slowed to a halt.
"What is it?" came Vitani's voice, still at the Princess' side.
"Look at the sunrise." Kiara beamed. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"
"Not as beautiful as you." Vitani gushed, nuzzling her mate yet again. Kiara let out a deep purr, welcoming the gesture. When Vitani pulled back, Kiara pressed their noses together and smiled.
"We're gonna be just fine." she said. She believed it, too.
"Yeah," Vitani replied. She pulled back again. "And Simba will be, too." She motioned to the top of the Rock and Kiara saw her father looking down on them.
"Daddy. . ." she said softly, lowering her ears.
"Look a little closer at him." Vitani whispered. Kiara did, and what she saw took a huge weight off her shoulders. Simba was smiling at the couple, almost knowingly, and gazing at his daughter with nothing but love.
"Come on, Princess." Vitani called, ascending the Rock again. Kiara walked beside her love until they reached the top. The king was obviously waiting for them. The pair stood before him, anxious to hear him speak. Simba looked them both over once and paused. He said one, simple word.
"Vitani?" Kiara's eyes never left her father as Vitani took a few pawsteps forward.
"Yes, Simba?" Vitani replied confidently. Simba smiled again and Kiara did, too.
"Take care of my daughter." were the five words he spoke before he went back inside the Pride Rock den.
"Yes, Sir." Vitani smirked after him. She turned back to Kiara with a smug grin. "Told you it'd be fine, Worrywart. Wasn't I right?" Kiara sighed in defeat and the couple padded towards the den as well.
"Yes, Tawni." she smiled. "You were right." The Outlander let out a triumphant "mhmm" and flicked Kiara's nose as she padded over to their little corner of the cave.
"Aaaannd?" the former Outlander whispered, lying down. She was careful to keep her voice down because every other lion was sleeping. Kiara tip-toed over and took a spot beside her mate.
"And what?" she whispered back, immediately cuddling into Vitani's side. Vitani was silent for a moment before she touched her muzzle to the younger lioness'. She let out a tired, but still very loving purr and licked Kiara's cheek before resting her head on her front paws.
"I love you too, Tawni." Kiara chuckled back, understanding the gesture clearly. She laid her head down and her eyelids began to droop. Vitani was already asleep.
"Hey Tawni?" Kiara whispered, shifting her weight slightly as to wake Vitani. The older lioness let out a confused mumble before Kiara could understand her.
"Wha. . .what is it Princess?" she asked, half-awake.
"The sun's coming up." Kiara smiled. "I love that color." Vitani groaned and rolled on her side, turning her back to the Prideland native.
"God, Kiara shut up already." she said with a half-smirk. "I know you're tired. Sleep. Dream." She turned back over and faced Kiara.
"But I have nothing left to dream about." Kiara pouted. She smiled at Vitani fondly and added with a twinkle in her eyes, "I've already got you." Vitani laughed quietly and shook her head.
"Mushball." she said, twining her tail with Kiara's, smiling back at her.
"You're one to talk." Kiara yawned sleepily, laying her head down. Vitani growled a friendly "shut up cutie", bringing a smile to her mate's muzzle as they fell asleep under the golden rays of the morning sunrise.
End
I wrote another Vitani/Kiara (Kitani) fic. I really like this pairing. =3 Reviews are appreciated. Luv ya'll :)