Vitani’s Guard

Ever since the Outsiders joined the Pridelanders, an intense rivalry had formed between the Pridelands' majordomo and the Outlands' former scout. When Simba had asked for the Morning Report, Zazu and Vitani both scrambled for the opportunity.

Zazu cleared his throat, "All seems to be in order, sire --"

"Nothing out of the ordinary, sir." Vitani cut in without thinking.

"Ugh... The tree dispute between the baboons and galagos have died down. Surely, a 'monkey off your back'." Zazu straightened, "The wildebeest are grazing in the same spot as usual, if that's 'gnus' to you. And --"

"Most of the herds were wrangled back in their place. There are still stragglers." the lioness felt herself becoming competitive.

Zazu cleared his throat, "Th-The rock pythons can't quite 'wrap' their minds around why the aardvarks are being rather 'nosey' --"

Vitani scowled at the hornbill and quickly returned to her stoic gaze at the King, "The overgrazing these last few months led to a premature --"

"Ah, as I was saying --"

"Last night --"

Simba couldn't keep turning his head to listen, "Alright, alright! Enough! Okay? I just... One at a time, please."

He turned to the lioness and gave an initiative nod, "Vitani?"

Vitani, rather pretentiously, stuck her tongue out at the old majordomo in victory.

"Poppycock..." Zazu muttered to himself.

"Well, she's new to the Pridelands." Simba shrugged, "Vitani, what about the herds?"

"Well," Zazu put his wings to his hips, "just so you know, young lioness, it takes years and years of reporting and knowing the Pridelands like the back of your wing to get to my level!"

Without Zazu looking, Vitani rolled her eyes. Funnily enough, the King did as well, just as bored of the majordomo's ramblings as he always has been, ever since he was a cub.

The lioness continued her report about the herds' statuses as the sun continued to rise.

____

Days later...

Too much time had gone by. Zazu still hadn't come back from his business trip. The pride watched as the King paced around the main den, worried for his old friend.

"It's been almost two days, now," Simba muttered, "it isn't like him to be this late. Something has to be wrong. Really wrong."

Suddenly, news came, as if on cue.

"Sir!" barked a creature emerging from the spot of earth outside the entrance. It was Gopher the mole rat, a long-serving scout of the majordomo.

"News from the Underground; Zazu is reported to be missing in Theluji Mountains. He was last seen entering strong currents."

"The blizzard," Simba sat up, "I should've known!"

The Guard's eyes widened. What was a blizzard?

"I should've had him deliver my message to King Sokwe after the storm." Simba turned to the lionesses, "Forgot how harsh the wet seasons could be, there..."

Vitani may have rivaled Zazu, and she may have thought he was a stuffy, perfectionist, gossipful interloper, but she never wished a travesty like this upon him. After a hushed discussion with the Guard, Vitani suddenly spoke up.

"We can bring Zazu home."

"You?" the King was wide-eyed, "You don't know the terrain. Kion's Guard needed escorts, even."

"You could get lost, too!" Tiifu cried, "Then how will Zazu get home? It's not worth the risk."

Vitani gently loosened herself from Tiifu's seemingly clingy embrace, "I appreciate your concern, but someone's gotta find him. We're big lions, he's a small bird. I'm sure my Guard and I can handle it better than he can."

Simba sighed, "Alright, but be careful with the weather. It can get unpredictable. Beware of ice and winds. You could freeze to death if you don't find shelter."

"We'll be back in no time, sir." the leader smiled assuringly.

Tiifu frowned, and clung to Vitani again.

"Tiifu," the Guard leader whispered to the lioness, "I'll be alright. The Guard and I can handle the elements."

Tiifu watched as the Guard took off.

"Please, please, be careful..."

____

Almost there...

The Guard had walked for hours, now. The Theluji Mountains was far west of the Pridelands, already too far from what the Guard knew.

"Must be it." Vitani said, looking up.

"Loooong climb up." Imara sighed.

Vitani lifted a paw, "Welp, here we-"

Suddenly, Gopher appeared from the ground. The Guard nearly jumped.

"Wait! Before you proceed..." the mole rat leaned closer, "...Beware of the beast that lives in the Mountains."

"...What?"

"Word from Underground is that a big, hairy beast emerges from his cave to snatch up prey."

"And Zazu's up there..." Shabaha pointed out, "Hopefully he wasn't... you know..."

Kasi cringed, "Oh, no... Oh, Simba would not wanna hear that..."

Vitani turned to Gopher, "Thank you for letting us know."

Gopher saluted courteously and sank back into the hole.

"Come on, girls." Vitani prepared to leap, "Till the Pridelands end..."

"Lion Guard Defend!" the rest finished in unison.

____

The Guard miserably wandered through the blizzard, unknowingly going in circles as winds from the storm had covered their tracks in the snow. The poor savannah animals shivered hard. Their eyebrows and eyelashes appeared gray from frost. Their eyes, themselves, couldn't help but constantly shut from the dry, crystalline wind.

In their closed eyes, they hadn't noticed Vitani slowly taking on a strange appearance as days passed on their trek. Her fur seemed to be growing more and more dense, and long. Her signature tuft hung over her eyes, protecting them from the ice, but blocking them from seeing. 

They'd eventually found a small, uninhabited cave to rest in. When the Guard finally laid their eyes on Vitani, they gawked.

"What?" Vitani glared, "Why are you looking at me like that? Do I have something on my face?"

"Vitani..." Kasi slowly approached, "Your fur... i-it's..."

"Like a CLOUD!" Shabaha cried before excitedly leaping to Vitani. With no impulse control, she proceeded to feel Vitani's soft coat.

"Wha-?" Vitani slapped Shabaha's paw away, "Quit it! What are you...?"

"Odd... must be a dormant trait," Tazama spoke up, "I mean, you've always had an unusually long coat, even back home..."

"Are you saying she adapted to the climate?" Kasi asked.

"Must be so." Tazama looked at her leader.

"We can talk about this later." Vitani stood up, "Come on, Zazu can't keep waiting..."

____

Later...

The Lion Guard seemed to make it to another part of the mountain. The change in air pressure meant they were much higher now. They called for Zazu, their voices giving them away to listening ears all over the mountains...

Vitani was pulled from her intense focus as her ear swiveled to a sudden scraping sound. Pebbles skidded down and brushed against her shoulder. She glanced up, confused at where it came from.

A pair of eyes stared from a cave above. The winds of the storm masked the deep rumbling heard from inside.

Too disoriented from the loud, nearly-opaque wind, Vitani couldn't get herself to find the source of the falling pebbles. She stared a few seconds longer.

"Vitani, I see a new landmark up ahead!" Imara called, loud enough to be heard over the winds.

Vitani shook the "Ah, coming..."

The eyes watched the lioness catch up to her group. Soon, the eyes disappeared into the darkness as the rumbling faded out.