Life After The Fall

Common ground

Vitani hunted a mountain goat and dragged it back to the spot where Akida laid. It was a large plump male, guaranteed to satisfy them for the rest of the night. Vitani dragged the goat to Akida and nudged him gently on his shoulder. His eyes fluttered open and he looked up at Vitani, his eyes hazy and disorientated from his long sleep.

"Hey I got the meat, sit up and let's eat. An early night would be ideal since we may have to get up early tomorrow morning to the Bamboo Forest," she said taking a seat next to him on the ground.
"Sounds good, thanks Vitani," Akida said appreciatively.
They then began to dig into the succulent meat, ripping into the carcass with their sharpened claws and tearing at the flesh.

"Vitani can I ask you a personal question?" Akida asked softly.
Vitani stopped eating a moment and glanced up at him.
"What is it?" she inquired.
"Have you ever been in love with someone, promised to give them the world, have your entire future planned out and then one day they just turn around and betray you without a second thought?"

"First of all I've never been in love. Growing up in the outlands, all there was to my life was consistent training, fighting and surviving. I had no time for love, friends or anything else for that matter," Vitani said simply.
"Nor did I care for it. I've been through a lot in my cubhood and that caused me to maintain a protective barrier around myself a membrane of sorts. I never let anyone in, just my siblings."

"What were you training for exactly?" Akida asked.
"My siblings and I were raised by a lioness named Zira. Since cubs, she'd brainwashed us into believing that an evil lion named Scar had died because of Simba and that it was our duty to avenge him and carry on his legacy," Vitani said sadly.
Akida listened to this quietly, not interrupting once. Vitani continued.

"My brother was the said 'Chosen One' and he was supposed to be the one who would kill Simba, avenge Scar and bequeath his throne. He fell in love with Kiara and that's how the outsiders and the pride landers joined prides."
"I see. That must've been nice," Akida murmured as he got up and walked away. Vitani watched him leave and felt a pang in her chest and wished he hadn't looked so dejected. Impulsively, she stood and followed him.

"Akida why are you looking so sad?" she asked touching him.
"I've once loved a lioness Vitani. She and I had an accidental encounter and became friends over time. I fell in love with her, but she never realized it. When I felt as though I was going crazy without her, I announced my love," Akida said lowly. "She rejected me and I was left alone. I never forgot the brutal words she used when she did."

"Is she the one who had poisoned you or was it someone else?"
"I don't know who poisoned me, and I never met them,"
Vitani grew silent. Akida was in love with another lioness and she didn't want him. Just one more thing they had on common.
"I never told anyone this before, other than Kovu and Marisa that is. No-one else knows about whatever it is I'm going to tell you," Vitani whispered.
"What is it?" Akida asked wiping his eyes.

"I had loved a lion while I was living in the outlands. His name was Azaan. He and I were friends, he wasn't from the outlands, he was a wanderer, never sticking in one place for too long, never forging any connections and always on the move. He and I bumped into each other and became friends," Vitani paused a moment to swallow her tears.

"Then miraculously, I fell in love with him and had planned to become his mate. But...he said he didn't want to be committed to anyone or bounded in any form of relationship. He broke it off and left the next day. I never saw him again. That's when I made the promise to never again allow myself to fall in love or to break down my walls to let anyone in."
"That must have been hard," Akida said as he placed a paw on Vitani's shoulder.

"Okay enough of the sentiments, let's finish eating and get going. The Bamboo Forest is just a few miles away from here, we might be able to make it if we hurry," Vitani pushed Akida's paw off of her shoulder and walked back to the carcass where she sat down and resumed eating as though nothing had ever happened.
"Yeah you're right. The sooner we get to the Tree of Life the better it'll be for the two of us," Akida murmured under his breath.

So they both continued to eat with their eyes averted from each other. No conversation was exchanged between them as they were too busy eating.
"I'm not getting hurt again," Vitani said to herself. "I trusted someone once and paid the price of my heart getting broken. I'm not repeating such a mistake again."