Meaning and Purpose [Closed to Julie_Skywalker]

[Carl]

For a moment, her jaw dropped, but she didn't let him notice. She didn't respond to his last comment because she didn't know how to, so instead she just addressed what he was suggesting.

"If he comes here, he'll never listen rationally. Nor will he if he sees you around. No, if I want to try and fix this I must speak with him 'alone' at first, and it has to be on his turf, or he will be defensive from the start. I want you and my lionesses to be nearby in hiding in case things go south," she said softly. She turned her eyes back towards the land they'd now claimed where her pridesisters and Shuja theoretically slept, knowing they were probably all awake.

Then she moved over and took a seat near Baya, gazing up at the stars herself. "I know it's not your style to hide when you could fight, or threaten, but this is a delicate matter, and if things don't go well, Kovu's less likely to hurt me in those situations, and we'll have more time to get away. Again, I know you would rather fight than flee, but that pride outnumbers us by a lot. Our skills in battle won't win the day for us. We have to handle this carefully if we want to keep our heads attached to our bodies, and honestly I don't want to die yet," she explained. Then she shook her head.

"I probably ramble too much. What I want to know is will you help us even though it means hiding and/or running? Will you come with us into the Pridelands? Will you come... with me?" she asked.

[Baya]

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[Carl]

"You talk as though I shouldn't try to reason with him. If he will listen there is no need for bloodshed, of that I am sure, and that itself makes me unlike you," she snorted. "I won't agree to something I don't want in order to appease him, but I won't have the six of us rushing to our deaths either. And for now we still have to think about Shuja as well."

"If it becomes necessary, I already planned to build our forces with rogues. However, I'd prefer to end this without violence, and with what remains of my family if possible and so we will tread carefully. If you disagree, then you will be my enemy as well," she said harshly. "Don't make me tell him he was right all along, because I know he wasn't."

She lowered her eyes and moved away from the rogue.

"I didn't spare you and help you to get under my brother's skin after all. I did it because I could tell you were worth it. Don't show me I'm wrong. Don't make me regret what I've done."

She hadn't expected the reaction she'd gotten out of Kovu for sparing Baya's life, not in those circumstances at least. She had done it to try being less ruthless, less Zira-like, less of an Outlander. She'd done it because she'd seen that he could be useful, and since Simba had given her a chance to reform, and Kovu had been so thrilled about that and wanted to be just like Simba, she'd wanted to do the same thing for this rogue. She'd wanted to help him, as Simba would have done.

That was the answer, she realized, she had to speak to Simba if he yet lived.

"I need to speak with the true king," she murmured aloud, "I need to talk to Simba first. He'll understand why I did what I did. And maybe Kovu will listen to him. But I have to go into Pride Rock alone."

[Baya]

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[Carl]

Vitani snorted. She wouldn't get herself killed. She wouldn't be careless. After Baya was gone, she made her way not towards the Elephant Graveyard, but instead towards the Pridelands. If she was to speak with Simba, she needed to hurry before it was too late, if it wasn't already. So she determined to do it tonight. By the time she'd arrive at Pride Rock, it would probably already be early morning, and it was likely her brother and the others wouldn't be lounging around Simba. This may well be her best chance of getting to the ailing king without a confrontation... if he yet lived.

She crossed the land at a trot, crouched low as though she were out hunting. She didn't want to be seen, didn't know if she was welcome or not. The sounds of nocturnal animal life made her seem silent as a ghost. She was able to see some details on Pride Rock as the sun was rising, and could see small forms on top of it moving away. Whether any of those forms had been her brother or not was impossible to say for sure from this distance.

So, carefully, she slunk closer, sticking to the grasses rather than the well-trodden paths the other would use when she was near enough to see those paths. At long last, she had arrived at Pride Rock. She looked about for any signs of other lions before bounding up the stones to the promontory and into the cave that rested there at the base.

"Simba...?" she called as she stepped into the darkness.

---

"Where is she, it's already morning," N'gora said, eyeing Baya slightly suspiciously. She didn't really think he'd have done anything to Vitani, but as he was the last one she'd been seen with, it made sense to ask him first.

"Maybe she wanted to get away from you for a while," Sauda cackled in response. N'gora shot her a warning look and turned back to Baya.

"Did she say anything about where she was going?" she asked him.

[Baya]

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[Carl]

"I don't know how much in the loop you have been lately, though I think you should be in entirely, and I need your help," she told the weak king.

"Several weeks ago a very strong rogue came to our lands and killed one of our scouts. Kovu sent me and some of my best fighters to go and take care of him. I fought him alone and defeated him, but I spared his life because I thought it was only right to give him a chance as you have given me and Kovu. The rogue agreed to help patrol our borders and keep other rogues away if I would fight him each day. Kovu thinks I did the wrong thing by sparing him, though the rogue hasn't attacked us since and has a young cub to look out for. Do you think I did the wrong thing Simba? I only wanted to live up to our king's expectations and do the right thing," she said calmly, but swiftly. She didn't want to wast too much of Simba's time or risk Kovu coming back here and starting a shouting match with her before she'd finished speaking to the king.

"Kovu decided to go and kill the rogue himself.. is that... was that the right decision?" she asked, her expression pleading with him as much as her voice as she tried to convince him that she was the one who'd done right.

---

All of the lionesses stopped what they were doing and curiously watched Baya at his declaration. Then Sauda looked back at Shuja.

"Indeed. He shows more and more that he maybe is any other lion under that tough exterior," she said softly.

The tears sisters just shrugged and began settling down to sleep, right where they were. N'gora on the other hand, slunk away towards the Pridelands in search of Vitani.

[Baya]

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[Carl]

"He had a cub with him," Vitani said quietly, "A cub that was not attacked. A cub that was not adopted. A cub that Kovu just left out there in the Elephant Graveyard. A cub that Kovu knew about before deciding to kill the rogue." She sighed, "Ruthless I may be when it is necessary, but we, Kovu, myself, and all of us from the Outlands, you gave us a chance to have better lives. To prove that we can be good. Sparing the rogue and cub was my way of trying to do just that. My brother spares none though. He kills another because he might be dangerous."

She leaned closer to the ailing king and whispered to him, "I fear power has corrupted Kovu. He roams the land claiming to be the king though you yet live, killing all rogues who come close to these lands without giving them a chance. I do not wish to alarm you in your current state, but I fear my brother will undo all the good you've done. I fear he may really be walking in Scar's pawprints." Then she returned to an upright position, continuing.

"If you have the strength, could you talk to him when he returns? He needs to see what he's becoming before a rift is created in the pride, maybe even the whole kingdom. I'd speak to him myself but it always becomes a confrontation immediately. Maybe he'll listen to someone he once respected. Maybe he'll listen to you."

With that, she rose and began walking out of the den, ready to return to her "pride."

[Baya]

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