She was going to hear him out about that too? Maybe that was what the rotten fruit was for, making others talk? No, they didn’t eat it for an interrogation, maybe for the cuddling then? It sure seemed to make Vitani cuddlier.

 

“You do remember anything I say, don’t ya… Taka… What of him, sunshine?”

 

Vitani didn’t respond, so Vincent tried turning around to face her, her paw weighing down heavily on his waist. She was crying, silently: Vincent could see tears gently sweeping down from her eyes.

 

“Sunshine, you’re all right?”

 

In stead of verbally replying, she slid her free paw under his neck and firmly pressed the now slightly unnerved Vincent to her body, tucking her nose in the thick manes on his neck, allowing him to feel the sensation of her breath every time she exhaled. Normally, the thought of being hugged by a lion would petrify him, but for this one time he made an exception and actually liked it.

 

“It’s not fair…” Vitani wept.

 

“What is?”

 

“It’s not fair, why does everybody hate them? Why do you all hate me for them? What did I do? What did they do?”

 

Life’s not fair, is it?

 

Vincent gently pushed Vitani’s head from his neck, looking her directly in the face. On impulse, he licked away the tears on the right side of her face, then those on the left side.

 

“I don’t hate you, got that?”

 

“You do… you hate me for what I am, I’m just his daughter to you…”

 

“Don’t talk such rot. So you are his daughter, so what? I didn’t know him; I know you, and you’re not him.”

 

“But you do hate dad… Taka…”

 

Vincent sighed. She w right?”

 

as upset, and who wouldn’t be: been born daughter to the most despised lion of an entire generation, been forced to betray her lineage and even her own parents.

 

“I’m gonna say something I might regret saying afterwards, but I don’t genuinely hate you father, Vitani. After my dad passed away, and after I found out who you really were, I did some thinking. And now I’m pretty sure of it: Taka couldn’t possibly be the monster everybody makes of him.”

 

“Liar…”

 

“No, it’s true. Think about it: I happen to know for a fact hyenas just hate him because we needed a scapegoat. Whatever happened was never our fault, but always his. I mean, he shared the pridelands with us, but Spirits know he didn’t have to, doesn’t seem like the kinda thing a monster would do, would it? And I’m sure all you outlanders wouldn’t just follow a monsters legacy all the way into exile…”

 

“…but no-one dares to admit that; they all feel more comfortable with the easy truth, a winner’s truth,” Vitani sobbed cynically. Then she suddenly licked Vincent’s nozzle, after which she one again lost herself in his fuzzy manes on the back and sides of his neck. Listening to each others regular breathing, they finally both dosed off, not noticing Kiruhu who had been discretely observing them for a distance. He looked up at the moon.

 

“Full moon… figures…”

 

"Bookman Old Style";" lang="EN-GB"> 

“Don’t talk such rot. So you are his daughter, so what? I didn’t know him; I know you, and you’re not him.”

 

“But you do hate dad… Taka…”

 

Vincent sighed. She w right?”

 

***

 

“What do you think he’s staring at all the time?”

 

Kiara smiled faintly.

 

“They are the Kings of old. They watch over him, and he looks up to them…”

 

“Dead kings huh? Sounds creepy…” Kovu replied a bit absent, whilst staring at Simba, who was in turn staring at the star-spangled night sky.

 

“You don’t ever listen when Rafiki tries to explain the ways of the world to you, do you?” she replied with faked indignation. Kovu sighed, apparently not noticing Kiara was only pulling his leg.

 

“I wonder how anyone could. Fruit-sipping fruitcake… Can’t ever bother to just say whatever it is he wants to say. Where is he anyways? He hasn’t bothered me for quite some time now...”

 

“He probably already gave up on you…” she grinned.

 

“Don’t talk such rot. So you are his daughter, so what? I didn’t know him; I know you, and you’re not him.”

 

“But you do hate dad… Taka…”

 

Vincent sighed. She w right?”

 

le";" lang="EN-GB"> 

“His loss, I suppose…” Kovu mumbled. Suddenly, he tried to grab Kiara, but she anticipated his move, tripping Kovu on the ground. He looked a bit pathetic laying on his back, Kiara standing over him.

 

“And what was that all about?”

 

“Moonlight makes you look too cute for me to just leave you be…” Kovu smiled, “By the way, how’s my heir coming along? Or maybe it’ll take some more…”

 

Kovu tried kissing Kiara, but she gently pushed him back onto the ground.

 

“Easy there Romeo,” She whispered as she bowed down and kissed him in stead, “I’m still the princess ‘round here. But don’t you worry; it’s going to happen soon…”

 

“ ‘t Was 'bout bloody time…”

 

Kiara sat down next to her partner, then turned her head towards Simba again. Sitting there, lonely gazing at the stars… it was in ways a sad image, perfectly illustrating how lonely it could get at the top, especially as one becomes older.

 

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“Don’t talk such rot. So you are his daughter, so what? I didn’t know him; I know you, and you’re not him.”

 

“But you do hate dad… Taka…”

 

Vincent sighed. She w right?”

 

“Dad’s been anxious too…” she noted, “He can’t wait to get to see his first grandchildren.”

 

“I know, he’s been mentioning it to me too… noticed how he’s been kind of off lately?”

 

“Yeah, thanks for handling him so well. He’s been going through a tough time lately ever since Zazu died… then grandma… he must be feeling pretty lonely, all he’s got now is mom…”

 

“Alas, so are the ways of the circle of life,” Kovu grumbled ironically. Kiara seemed a bit shocked at his cold remark.

he ground.

 

“Easy there Romeo,” She whispered as she bowed down and kissed him in stead, “I’m still the princess ‘round here. But don’t you worry; it’s going to happen soon…”

 

“ ‘t Was 'bout bloody time…”

 

Kiara sat down next to her partner, then turned her head towards Simba again. Sitting there, lonely gazing at the stars… it was in ways a sad image, perfectly illustrating how lonely it could get at the top, especially as one becomes older.

 

"Bookman Old Style";" lang="EN-GB"> 

“Don’t talk such rot. So you are his daughter, so what? I didn’t know him; I know you, and you’re not him.”

 

“But you do hate dad… Taka…”

 

Vincent sighed. She w right?”

 

 

“Kovu! That’s not funny!”

 

“I don’t hear no-one laughing…” he grumbled still a bit frosty. Kiara angrily got up.

 

“What’s the matter with you? This has been going on for weeks now, what’s up with all that cynicism all of a sudden?”

 

“Just my bad genes kicking in dear…” Kovu grinned darkly, “Not funny? I’ll tell you what’s not funny either: last month, when Sahe ground.

 

“Easy there Romeo,” She whispered as she bowed down and kissed him in stead, “I’m still the princess ‘round here. But don’t you worry; it’s going to happen soon…”

 

“ ‘t Was 'bout bloody time…”

 

Kiara sat down next to her partner, then turned her head towards Simba again. Sitting there, lonely gazing at the stars… it was in ways a sad image, perfectly illustrating how lonely it could get at the top, especially as one becomes older.

 

"Bookman Old Style";" lang="EN-GB"> 

“Don’t talk such rot. So you are his daughter, so what? I didn’t know him; I know you, and you’re not him.”

 

“But you do hate dad… Taka…”

 

Vincent sighed. She w right?”

 

rabi died, the whole damn pridelands went through three days of collective depression. When on the other hand the first anniversary of the reunion came up a couple of months ago Simba threw a bloody party! In the name of the Kings of old, he ‘mourned’ the passing of my mom with a damn banquet! That’s what’s the matter…”

 

Kiara gasped. He was right. Simba had provided a huge meat pile at priderock to celebrate. And celebrated they had…

 

“Now ain’t that a joke? My offspring conceived exactly one year after my mom passed away…”

 

“Kovu… I… I‘d forgotten… Sorry, I didn’t…”

 

“I bet you did. But hey, the past is all behind us, right? No need to remember lions, no need to remember parents, no need to remember names…” Kovu sighed bitter.

 

“Kovu… Stop this, stop talking like this…” Kiara urged with a slight hint of panic.

 

 “No, the faster we forget about Taka and Zira, the better, those are just evil memories, now aren’t they?”

 

 

“Don’t talk such rot. So you are his daughter, so what? I didn’t know him; I know you, and you’re not him.”

 

“But you do hate dad… Taka…”

 

Vincent sighed. She w right?”

 

ze: 11pt; font-family: "Bookman Old Style";" lang="EN-GB">To hell with their circle of life, to hell with all this! Simba’s feeling lonely? At least he’s entitled to his memories still.

 

Contemplating as he walked away from Kiara, Kovu realized he had gravely overdone it this time. He had had sporadic outbursts of cynicism and anger, sure, but never this ‘to the point’. But it was all getting to much, now wasn’t it? His first kid somewhere in the near future, Simba staying over again, his family

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