The Lion King: Kovu and Kiara's Empire
It was a solemn day in the Pride Lands. The lion pride of Pride Rock had all gathered around the king's body, mourning their loss. King Simba had died of a broken heart, three weeks after the death of his beloved Queen, Nala. Kiara, the former princess and now Queen of the Pride wept quietly for her losses. Close by her side was her mate, now King Kovu. He rested his head on top of hers, consoling her to his best ability. The King's best friends, Timon and Pumba, had left to go back to their families after the death of Simba. Rafiki, the Pride's shaman, sprinkled herbs on the late king's body and said a prayer to the heavens. Soon, the Pride was heading back to Pride Rock. Kovu and Kiara's inauguration was tomorrow. Kiara and Kovu climbed to the rock in the cave looking over all the lionesses. This is where they slept now. They ruled.
The next morning the King and Queen climbed to the top of Pride Rock. Rafiki presented them with a necklace of vines. He dipped his hands into his fruit juices and put a hand print over each of the lion's right eyes. He said a prayer and presented the lions with their new rulers. Kiara and Kovu let out their first roars as King and Queen and the pride echoed them. The clouds parted and the sunlight beamed onto them. A wind whipped through Kovu's mane and swirled around Kiara's neck. She inhaled and heard her father. "We are one." He spoke to her. She smiled nodded.
Rafiki walked slowly up the rock with another monkey at his side. A much younger monkey. Rafiki was not young. He'd been around since before Mufasa. He had hand selected a new shaman, Tumbili. Tumbili was wise, like Rafiki, and would do well with the new monarchs. Kovu ad Kiara met the wise old monkeys at the door.
"Rafiki, it won't be the same without you." Kiara said.
"It is my time ta go. But da new shaman I have picked out fo you will be just as good as I have tried te be."
Kiara hugged Rafiki, and he kissed her on the cheek. Kovu followed.
"Welcome to the Pride Tumbili." Kovu said to the new shaman.
"It is my honor sire." Tumbili said in a thick accent like Rafiki's.
Rafiki handed Tumbili his stick.
"You take care o' dis ya hear?"
Tumbili chuckled. "Will guard it wit my life."
"My home in da tree is yours now." said Rafiki.
Tumbili was very happy.
Rafiki walked slowly down Pride Rock and out into the wilderness, and was never seen again.
Kiara and Kovu were settling in well as King and Queen. They were both fulfilling their royal duties well. One day a young lion cub was abandoned at the foot of Pride Rock. The young cub was probably left by a mother who couldn't take care of her well. Kiara found the young cub, and took her to Tumbili.
"Tumbili, is this cub going to live?" Kiara asked worriedly.
Tumbili inspected the cub from head to toe.
"Her just need a bit of love and a good meal." He told her.
Kiara was ecstatic. She took the cub, who she now called Yatima, back to Pride Rock. With orphaned cubs, it was the Queen's responsibility to find a good mother for the cub. She called in Kulea, a young lioness who wanted a child, but could not have children.
"Kulea, this is Yatima. She is an orphan. She needs someone who will take care of her, and raise her well. Will you do this for her?"
Kulea was speechless. Finally, she managed to get her words out.
"My lady, I would be honored to care for this beautiful child. Thank you."
Kiara slid Yatima to Kulea, who took her by the neck and carried her away to bond and care for her new child.
Kiara began to think about the beautiful young cub more. She wanted a cub of her own. There needed to be an heir for the Pride. She went to the water hole, where she found Kovu. She stalked him in the grass, and pounced on him. She pinned him, and smiled.
"You've gotten good." He said.
"I had a good teacher." She said.
Kovu smiled and Kiara let him up. He sat beside her and snuggled.
"Did you find a good mother for Yatima?" he asked.
"I did, I decided Kulea would be good for her."
Kovu nodded. "Yes, that was a very good choice. She is wonderful with cubs and now she can have one."
Kiara sighed. "Yes it's a very good thing."
Kovu lowered his head to look into his Queen's eyes. "Is something bothering you, love?"
Kiara looked at him. "I want one of my own Kovu." She said quickly.
Kovu was quiet for a moment, and then he spoke.
"I wouldn't mind having a cub either."
Kiara jumped on him. Kovu laughed.
"Well, Your Majesty, should we wait?" asked Kiara
"Nope I don't think so at all." said the King.
Kovu woke in the night to distant roaring. He stood and walked out to ledge of Pride Rock. Zazu came flying in.
"Sire, there are two lions in the Pride Lands." He said breathlessly.
"Thank you, Zazu, why are they roaring?"
"They are arguing over a meal, my lord."
"Kovu?" Kiara called from inside the cave.
Kovu trotted back inside to his wife.
"What's going on?" she asked, sleepily.
"Just some outsiders in the Pride Lands, I'm just going to go check it out."
Kiara licked him. "Be careful, you are soon to be a father, remember."
Kovu glanced at the Queen's growing belly. "How could I forget?" he nuzzled her tummy.
He licked her forehead and trotted outside. The sun was coming up and the roars of the strangers got louder. Kovu approached them and roared. They dropped the antelope carcass they were fighting over and growled at Kovu.
"I am the King of these Pride Lands. Speak your name and purpose here."
The smaller lion with a gold body and dark brown mane spoke first.
"I am Pasipo, I mean no harm to you or your Pride, and I apologize for invading your lands. I have left my Pride to start my own, and I was hunting when I caught this antelope. I was going to move on but, well you see what happened."
Kovu nodded at the young lion. He looked at the other, larger lion.
"Your name?"
The other lion, whose mane was jet black, and his body was a light tan, looked at Kovu.
"I am Mabaya. My philosophy is that the strongest takes all."
Kovu narrowed his eyes at the lion, who was still smaller than him.
"Is that right?" Kovu growled.
Mabaya roared at Kovu. Kovu hit Mabaya across the face. Three gash marks covered his cheek.
"Get off of my Pride Lands." Kovu snapped.
Mabaya wanted to protest, but he slinked off, to nurse his wound.
Kovu looked at Pasipo.
"You are welcome to return with me to Pride Rock. There are many young lionesses there that are looking to start a family of their own. Perhaps you can convince them to start a pride with you."
Pasipo nodded gratefully.
The two lions returned to Pride Rock. Kovu explained the story to the Pride. Pasipo met all the lionesses, are congratulated Kiara on her pregnancy.
Pasipo and Kulea became close, and Pasipo started to become a father figure to Yatima. In a few weeks Kulea and Yatima along with a few other lionesses decided to leave with Pasipo and start a new pride.
A month passed and Kiara was due to birth any day. She lay on the cool floor of the cave and slept. Kovu came in the entrance of the cave and gazed at his Queen. All of a sudden Kiara let out a roar of agony. Kovu was at her side.
"It's time Kovu." Kiara gasped.
Kovu sent some lionesses to get Tumbili. The shaman walked gracefully into the cave. He looked at Kovu.
"Please wait out side sire."
Kovu nodded and went to the tip of Pride Rock and started pacing. With every cry Kiara let out Kovu began to worry more. But eventually a lioness came outside of the cave to get Kovu.
"My lord, your son awaits." She said.
Kovu ran into the cave. Kiara lay with the cub between her paws, licking his tuff of brown fur. When she saw Kovu, she smiled.
"Isn't he perfect?" she asked.
Kovu gazed at his son. The cub had Kovu's dark mane, with Kiara's golden body. The cub's eyes were blue like Nala's were.
"What should we name him?" Kiara asked.
Kovu had been thinking for days about this.
"How do you like Fisadi?" he asked.
The Queen peered down at the Prince.
"It's perfect." She said.
Three days later the ceremony for the cub was being held. All the animals stood under Pride Rock. Tumbili cradled Fisadi in his arms and swiped juice across the young Price's head. Tumbili strode to the tip of pride rock with the heir in his arms. With the King and Queen behind him, he raised the cub into the air. Sunlight beamed down on the cub and the animals below erupted. Wind swirled around the King and Queen and Simba and Nala appeared in the sky. They smiled at their grandchild, who swiped at the leaves blown by the wind. Kiara beamed at Kovu, who couldn't take his eyes off of his beautiful son.
"Fisadi! Nzuri!" Akili, the lion cub babysitter, called.
Fisadi tackled his best friend, Nzuri, to the ground. Nzuri was a young lioness that had been, like Yatima, left at the foot of Pride Rock. Jasiri, a lioness in the pride, was her adoptive mother.
"Fisadi!" Nzuri whined. "Get off of me."
The young Prince laughed and rolled off of his dark gold playmate.
"Fisadi." A strong voice called. It was the King.
Fisadi ran to his father and pulled on his mane.
"Hey Dad!" he exclaimed.
Kovu thanked Akili for watching over the Prince and walked off with his son, Fisadi said bye to Nzuri.
"Dad, when are you going to take me to the top of Pride Rock?" Fisadi asked.
"How about now?" Kovu asked.
Fisadi ran as fast as he could, and Kovu loped behind him. When the lions got to the top, Fisadi gazed in wonder at his future kingdom.
"Dad, what is that over there in the dark?" he asked.
Kovu took a deep breath; he knew this was going to be asked.
"Those are the outlands, son. They are abandoned, but it is still very dangerous out there. You must never go there."
Fisadi nodded to his father, keeping his eyes on the shadows.
A year had passed in the Pride Lands and the Prince was no longer a cub, but a young lion. His dark mane had stretched from just a tuff to all the way between his shoulder blades and between his front legs. Fisadi began learning king like duties, like going on patrols with his father.
One day Fisadi and Kovu were patrolling the Pride Lands when a strange lioness appeared. She was about Fisadi's age, and she was hungry. But the strangest thing about her was that she was solid white from head to toe. She was absolutely beautiful to Fisadi. She had green eyes like Kovu's and a soft face, with fear written all over it. The lioness watched warily.
Kovu spoke.
"We mean you no harm, young lioness, as long as you don't mean any harm to us."
The white lioness shook her head.
"No, I don't. I'm just looking for a pride. I have been banished from my own."
"Why?" Kovu asked. "And what is your name?"
"Meupe. I was forced to leave my pride because I shamed them because of my color."
Fisadi couldn't see how someone could dislike this beautiful creature. Kovu looked at his son's face.
"Meupe, if you would like, you can join our pride. I am King Kovu, and this is my son Prince Fisadi. He will show you our lands and help you get settled in."
Fisadi looked thankfully at his father.
"Hello, Meupe." He said to the young lioness.
"Hello Prince Fisadi." She said back.
"Please, just Fisadi." He told the white beauty.
The two royals and Meupe returned to Pride Rock. The lionesses were amazed by Meupe's beauty. Except for Nzuri, who looked jealously at Meupe. A few lionesses came back from being out on a hunt, including the Queen. Kiara welcomed Meupe into the Pride and they shared the zebra the hunting group had brought back.
Days went by and Fisadi trained and showed Meupe the ways of the Pride. Nzuri watched jealously as he and Meupe tackled and played.
One day when Meupe was off with the hunting group, Nzuri went to talk to Fisiadi. She walked down by the water hole where Fisadi was resting under a tree. His dark mane had grown fuller, and he muscles flexed when he swatted a bug. Nzuri, who before Meupe was the most beautiful lioness in the pride, lay down beside the Prince.
"You have become a very handsome lion, Fisadi." She said.
Fisadi looked at her confused.
"Thanks?" he said uncertainly.
Nzuri began purring and rubbed her head against Fisadi's. Fisadi pulled away.
"Nzuri, what are you doing?" he asked.
"I'm trying to get you to stop drooling over that stupid white freak!" she exclaimed.
Fisadi was taken aback.
"How could you say that about her, Nzuri? She's never been anything but nice to you."
Nzuri scoffed. "We were best friends before she showed up, and now all your attention is on her!"
"So you're jealous?" Fisadi asked.
"Of her? Please." Nzuri said.
"Yes you are," Fisadi stated. "But I'm sorry that I've neglected you. I'm still your best friend."
Nzuri looked at her paws. "I want to be more than just friends."
Fisadi was confused. "I don't understand." He stated.
Nzuri ran off towards Pride Rock. Fisadi was about to chase her when his mother came towards him.
"Are you and Nzuri fighting?" asked Kiara.
"I don't really know." Said Fisadi.
"What do you think of her?" asked the Queen.
"What do you mean, what do I think of her?" he asked.
"Do you think she's pretty? Or nice? Or funny? Or-."
"Mom!" Fisadi exclaimed. "Why are you asking me all these questions?"
"When you and Nzuri were cubs, we decided you too should be betrothed."
"What?" Fisadi yelled. "Like, like married?"
"Well, yes Nzuri would make you a great wife."
"Wife? Mom, I don't want a wife, and even if I did I'd want to choose my own. You got to choose Dad."
"Princesses get to do that Fisadi. There are no male cubs for the parents to choose from already in the Pride. With Princes, there are plenty of young females to choose from. You and Nzuri seemed to like each other, so your father and I arranged her to be your wife."
Fisadi had heard enough. He ran off to the savannah, to get away from the madness. The hunting group passed the rock he sat on top of, and Meupe ran over to him.
"Hey, Fisadi!" she said.
"Hi, Meupe." He said, even though he was overjoyed she was there.
"Something wrong?" she asked.
"Yeah. I'm betrothed. To Nzuri."
"So you're what, getting married to her?" Meupe asked hurt.
Fisadi hopped off of the rock.
"Meupe, you have to know I don't want to."
"Then why don't you just say that? Just say you don't want to marry her."
"It's not that easy, Meupe."
Meupe lowered her head. Fisadi rested his on top of hers. In the distance, Tumbili watched them.
"Oh, my kings, dis is not good. Da lion Prince is falling for da outcast. Oh dear. Help us great kings. Help us."
Meupe and Fisadi walked side by side for as long as they could. They didn't say a word, just walked. Finally, they decided to come back to Pride Rock, where the King was waiting to talk to his son. Kovu and Fisadi walked to the tip of Pride Rock and watched the sun set.
"You have fallen in love with Muepe." The King stated.
"I have father."
"Son, she cannot be your Queen. She is-"
"What. Different? Are you going to treat her just like her old pride because of the way she looks?"
"I have taken her in and made her part of this pride despite her differences. But son, she is not from this pride originally. It's against royal protocol for her to be a ruler. A queen must have been part the pride since she was a cub in order to be Queen."
"Simba wouldn't have done this." Fisadi spat.
"Simba did do this. He did it with me."
"That's different you were an outlander, a threat to the pride. Besides, Mom didn't have to pick from the pride anyway."
"She can't be the Queen of this Pride, Fisadi."
"Fine, we will start our own pride."
Kovu looked at his son in shock.
"You'd leave this pride, your family, for her?"
"I am leaving my pride and family for her." Fisadi said coldly.
"No your not." A voice said.
Muepe climbed up the rock.
"My apologies, my lord, but I had to say something."
Kovu nodded. "I'll leave you two alone."
When the King had left, Muepe licked Fisadi's cheek.
"You can't leave Fisadi. You just can't."
"But I love you. You're my Queen. I decided that the day I met you. Nothing, especially some royal protocol crap, is going to change that. If you can't be my Queen here, than you can be my Queen in our own pride."
Muepe was about to speak when Nzuri jumped onto the rock.
"Back off white freak. He's mine. I am his Queen."
"Nzuri, I don't want to hurt your feelings, but I am in love with Muepe."
Nzuri growled and jumped for Fisadi's throat. Muepe collided with her and the two began to fight. Fisadi roared and the Kovu and Kiara appeared with a few other lionesses.
Kiara jumped in the middle of the brawl and knocked Nzuri down. Nzuri jumped back up, and tackled the Queen, putting her over the edge of the tip of Pride Rock.
"Mother!" Fisadi cried.
"Kiara!" Kovu echoed.
Muepe jumped on Nzuri, and pulled her away from Kiara. Kovu raced to his wife, and helped her to safety. Fisadi jumped in front of Muepe, and pinned Nzuri to the ground.
"As the Prince of this Pride, I hereby exile you for treason!" Fisadi screamed.
"I second that." Kiara and Kovu said together.
Nzuri growled, but slinked off of Pride Rock, and out of sight.
Muepe stood still as a stone. Fisadi turned to her.
"Muepe-"
"I love you Fisadi! I always have. But I'm not going to let you leave your Pride for me."
"He doesn't have to," Said Kiara. "Muepe, you will make a wonderful Queen, and I'm sorry we ever doubted that."
"Yes, Muepe, it was unkind to try to go against love." Kovu said.
"You are welcome to be in this Pride. As well as Princess." Kiara says.
"Your highness." Fisadi said to Muepe, bowing.
"Thank you, I-I am so honored."
"A ceremony making it official will take place tomorrow." Said Kovu
The King and Queen hugged the Prince and Princess and left the top of Pride Rock. Fisadi kissed Muepe and they spent the night on the top of Pride Rock.
****SHOULD I CONT.? I'M THINKING OF HAVING NZURI MEET UP WITH MABAYA AND BECOMING THE ANTAGONIST? ANT OTHER IDEAS?