The Lion King Chronicles: Vitani's Vengeance

Chapter 1

The air was cold, so cold. I shivered against Mother's chest, hoping that she would wrap me in her warm embrace. Instead, she nosed me awake somewhat harshly. "Vitani." Her voice was almost as cold as the air.

Despite the faint rays of light seeping into the cave, I still had to squint my eyes. Standing over me and Mother was Scar, King of Priderock and my father. I haven't seen him since my naming ceremony a few days ago. He was so big compared to me! In his jaws, he held a tiny cub, like me but smaller. His coloring was almost exact to Scar's.

"Vitani, meet your new brother, Kovu." Zira told me. Scar lowered the cub next to me. He must've been a newborn because his eyes weren't even open yet. I gave his brown fur an experimental sniff to discover he smelled very different from me and Mother.

Nuka trotted over to us to stand beside Scar. "I don't want another sibling," Nuka growled.

Scar threw Nuka a piercing glare. Nuka cowered in his gaze and became silent. I attempted to stand on my wobbly legs. When they held me, I took a small step towards Scar and then another. I tumbled forward and crashed into Scar's paw.

Nuka sneered at me, causing me to flinch. Scar bent down to straighten me out. His touch was surprisingly gentle. He studied me with his green eyes and I saw some emotion there that I didn't recognize. "You're a strong one, Vitani." Then he gave me a gentle shove back towards Zira. "Go to your mother."

I wobbled back to Zira and snuggled against her and my new brother, Kovu. My legs were tired after that short adventure. A wide yawn parted my jaws. The darkness of the cave made it easier to doze off. I didn't even notice when Scar left with Nuka or when some of the lionesses came to look upon us.

In my dream, I was racing across the Pridelands.

Sunshine beamed down on me favorably and the wind seemed to carry me. I felt like a bird flying overhead. Neither the antelopes nor the gazelles could outrun me.

Suddenly, dark clouds circled in the sky, obscuring the sun. All of the Pridelands was cast into dark shadows. I skid to a stop, kicking up a cloud of dust in the process. Along the horizon were silhouettes with glowing eyes. They moved in closer and circled me like a pack of hyenas.

My heart was racing like a spooked antelope. I cowered in their presence, shaking with fear. What did they want from me? Why did they take away the light?

"Mom..." My voice shook. "Mommy!" I called out of fear, but there came no answer. "Help me!"

The silhouettes kept circling me. They looked like lions, but I couldn't be sure. Then, they started whispering something. At first, I couldn't hear what they were saying, but then their voices raised into an ominous chant:

"Giza! Damu! Kifo! Vita! Vita! Vita! Giza! Damu! Kifo! Vita! Vita! Vita!"

I cowered on my stomach and tried to cover my eyes with my paws. "Mommy!"

Suddenly, the ground beneath my paws started shaking. "Vitani! Vitani!"

My eyes snapped open and I gasped for breath. I immediately lashed out with my claws out of fear. "Woah! It's okay! Vitani!" Standing over me was a lioness I haven't met yet. Her fur was a dark cream color and her eyes were somewhere in between green and blue. She had a kind face and worried eyes.

My heart was still racing and my breathing was labored, but she held me down until I started to calm down. Where was Zira or Kovu? Why was I all alone in the nest?

"Where's Mommy?" I asked the green-eyed lioness.

She sighed and lowered her head to nuzzle me. "Your mother went out on patrol. She'll be back soon, sweetheart." Her eyes flickered over to where another lioness had Kovu nestled in between her paws. "Kovu's sleeping."

I narrowed my eyes in confusion. Who was this lioness? Why did she seem familiar to me? "Who are you?"

The lioness looked down at me with emotions clouding her eyes. "My name is Sarafina. I'm...I'm a friend of your mother's."

That made sense. After all, Mother was the Queen. Of course she had many friends! "I like your eyes. They're pretty."

Sarafina purred in amusement. "Your eyes are like mine, too, darling. They're more blue...like the sky in the rainy season."

Suddenly, a roar split through the air to echo off of the cave walls. A shadow flew over me and knocked into Sarafina. It was Mother. She clawed Sarafina across the face and all I could do was watch. Droplets of crimson blood splattered the cave floor as Mother's claws connected with Sarafina's cheek. A few more lionesses joined the fight and it was soon a clawing mess.

"Stop!" A voice roared. Scar entered the cave with fire flaring in his green eyes. He marched over to the lionesses responsible. "What is the meaning of this?!"

Zira spoke up first. "Sarafina was by Vitani when I specifically told her to stay away!" She cast a glare in Sarafina's direction. A few lionesses gathered around Zira, some of them being Afra, Katura, and Nadra.

At Sarafina's side were a bunch of lionesses that I didn't know. That's the first time I was exposed to the silent war among the Pride. Scar glared at Sarafina. "Zira is your Queen and Vitani is my daughter. Stay away from her."

I didn't realize that he said my daughter. Not our daughter.