Kovu and Kiara's

Jungle Kingdom

By: Jaimie McCluskey

Days after Simba told Kiara about "we are one"; she began to miss Kovu. She knew she couldn't sneak away to the Outlands again, so she came up with an escape plan.

She was to leave at dawn and go find Kovu. Then they could both runaway together until their prides realized there should be peace. Besides, she felt she needed Kovu to be the future king with her. So she waited all day for her chance to escape.

Finally, when the moment came, she made sure the coast was clear, and made a run for the Outlands. She hid behind a rock looking for Kovu. She spotted him by a nearby tree, lying down. She was so excited, that she tripped over her paws, and fell from behind the rock with a thump!

She quickly sprang into the bushes, her heart pounding.

"What…who was that?" Zira demanded. Kiara shuddered.

Just then Vitani came home from playing.

"Vitani are you playing tricks again?" Zira yelled. "What?" Vitani asked puzzled. "You know what! Popping from behind rocks spying, indeed! Go and hunt some mice to make-up for that!" Zira instructed. Vitani sulked away, still puzzled. Then she looked at the rock and narrowed her eyes and snarled.

Kiara was terrified of being caught, so she belly-walked over to the tree where Kovu lay.

Kovu sighed as he remembered his playtime with Kiara. The more he thought about her, the more he liked her. But he couldn't understand why his mother was training him to someday kill her. He suddenly realized that he just couldn't go along with it anymore. He couldn't kill his best and only friend no matter how much his mother wanted him to! So he thought of sneaking away to tell her. When he started to get up, she panicked and whispered to him. He followed the sound into the bushes.

"Kovu!"

"Kiara! What are you doing here?"

" I came to tell you that I want peace between our prides!" Kiara said proudly yet seriously.

" Me too!" exclaimed Kovu.

" But I can't take this anymore! I want you and me to runaway until they can settle this once and for all! Kiara said. Besides, I feel that I need you to be the future king with me!"

" Really?" Kovu asked.

" Yes!" Kiara replied.

" Well I've got to tell you something too", Kovu said. He told her about his mother's evil plot to get rid of her and Simba one day. Kiara gasped! "But I'm not gonna do it!" he stressed.

"I knew you wouldn't Kovu!" Kiara smiled and nuzzled him. He held her close and licked her. Then they realized they needed to escape now before anyone saw them!

They raced until they came upon a thorn patch leading to a long desert. "What are we going to do now?" panicked Kiara. " We're lucky tonight's a calm night with no desert wind, so let's hurry!" Kovu instructed. They made their way through the thorn patch and onward to the jungle. By dawn they reached the jungle. Exhausted, they both fell asleep by a small pool under the shade of a palm tree.

The next morning Kiara awoke to puddles of water splashed on her. Kovu was grooming her and was glad to see her awake.

"Here eat these mangos I found", Kovu offered. Kiara slowly ate the mangos with delight. They were small, round, juicy, and soft.

The two of them got up and began to explore. They found a lot of cool bugs and animals and all sorts of things you could imagine! They played together all morning. They were so happy to finally be together.

Meanwhile, Simba and his pride searched everywhere for Kiara. Simba was very worried, but he was also going to be mad at her when he found her.

Zira was doing an all-area search for Kovu. She was raged at Nuka and Vitani. "You're his guardians why weren't you watching him?" she screamed. Vitani was shaking behind Nuka. Zira slashed his face. "Find him now! Or you're next Vitani. "Zira ordered.

"When I find that little rat he's dead!" Nuka yelled.

"Sorry little prince, but YOU'RE gonna pay!" Vitani said through clenched teeth.

The whole night, Simba lay in the grass thinking about why in the world Kiara would want to runaway. He thought of every possibility, but they were all hopeless. And poor Nala lay awake all night too, worrying to death about Kiara. Then, Simba's and Zira's prides both decided to go ask Rafiki for help the next day.

Kovu and Kiara decided to explore further and deeper parts of the jungle. They wandered on until they came to a cave filled with blackness. Kiara gasped and shuddered, but Kovu bravely stepped up to it and growled: "Hello?"

Suddenly yells, cries, and whimpers filled the cave. Kovu and Kiara rushed in.

They couldn't believe their eyes! 2 infant cubs up against the wall, scared to death by a wild monkey wanting to eat them! Kiara leaped in front of the 2 cubs to protect them, and Kovu fought off the monkey. The cubs stopped shaking when Kovu came over and assured them that the monkey was gone.

"Who are you?" the boy cub asked.

"I'm Kiara, and this is Kovu."

"Thanks for saving us!" the girl cub said gratefully.

"Of course! Say, what are your names?" asked Kovu.

"I'm Nova", said the boy cub. "I'm Keeyana", the girl cub said.

"We were abandon here and that monkey found us and tried to eat us!" cried Keeyana.

"It's all right", Kiara coped.

"How'd you like to come live with us?" asked Kovu.

"Sure!" squealed the cubs.

So Nova & Keeyani went back to the middle of the jungle to live with Kiara and Kovu.

They ate mangos and coconuts for breakfast. It was a thrill for all of them! They played for hours each day and Kiara and Kovu taught Nova and Keeyana new tricks and moves. They had tons of fun each day, but all the while they were had fun, the two prides searched desperately for their lost cubs. They never even thought of looking past the Outlands, because they didn't think that either cub would dare venture past there. But they were wrong, because Rafiki had gathered both prides together and mystically told them where to look:" Past the Outlands, into the gorge, across the thorn patch and onward forth." It wasn't long before both prides discovered cub tracks leading straight towards the jungle.

The next morning as Nova and Keeyana were playing, Kovu and Kiara were just a little ways off looking for their breakfast. But not too far away, Simba's and Zira's prides were spying on the two cubs, puzzled.

"Who are they?" asked Zira.

"I don't know, but they could be with Kovu and Kiara." Simba answered.

"Shh!" hissed Nuka.

Suddenly they saw Kovu and Kiara come over and nurse the cubs. Simba and Zira gasped!

"They're both caring for cubs that aren't in either of our prides!" Simba growled.

" Worst of all, they're caring for each other!" Zira snarled.

"They're disrespecting and disgracing both prides!" Zira said.

Kiara and Kovu went back to get more food when disaster struck!

Simba and Zira each leaped in front of the two young cubs, snarling.

"How dare you two fuzz puffs steal our cubs?" Zira yelled, outraged. Nova and Keeyana were too scared to move, so they both started screaming desperately for Kiara and Kovu!

" You're only making it worse you know!" snapped Vitani, closing in on them.

"Yea, because when they get here, we'll have them trapped as well", snickered Nuka. The 2 baby cubs were horrified and scared! Kiara and Kovu leaped from the bushes with all their might! Kovu was so angry with Nuka, that he slashed him across the face, causing him to fall into a small pool, and he then pounced Vitani in the pool also.

Kiara comforted the 2 cubs, and stood in front to protect and guard them. Kovu was so preoccupied with beating Nuka and Vitani that he didn't notice the two other prides slowly emerge from the bushes. Kiara and Kovu gasped! Still protecting their cubs, they faced their own prides.

"Daddy!" Kiara gasped.

"Mom!" Kovu said shocked.

"Kovu, you 2 didn't think you could hide forever did you?" Zira snickered.

"Kiara how could you betray your pride?" Simba pleaded.

"Daddy, can't we all just be together as one?" Kiara begged.

"But they betrayed us first and we banished them!" "Kiara you betrayed all of us! And the only punishment for that is exile!" Saying that was the hardest thing Simba had ever done, but it was the royal law, and he was the king. Breaking that law would disgrace his reputation and place as king, so then he would be exiled from the throne, and would end up just like the Outsiders.

"Yes we all agree on it!" Zira said. "And stop defending those scrawny, little powder puffs!" Zira hissed.

"You leave Nova and Keeyana alone!" yelled Kiara.

"Fine, then tomorrow morning all the animals of the Pridelands, along with the Outsiders because they deserve to watch a member of their own pride leave, will watch the 4 of you be exiled from Pride Rock!" Simba roared. Kiara and Kovu looked at each other sadly.

"They didn't understand the point we were trying to tell them", Kiara said disappointed.

"There's nothing wrong with loving and caring for each other!" Kovu explained.

" You're right Kovu! I know it'll be hard tomorrow, but as long as we're together, we'll make it through!" Kiara said.

"Besides then we can live the rest of our lives in peace together!" Nova said happily. They all smiled and fell asleep together under the stars.

Finally the day came. All the animals came to Pride Rock as they did the day Kiara was born. Except this time they were filled with anger and disappointment. As the 4 cubs walked the path leading straight below where Simba stood, the animals murmured to each other in shock about how their future queen had joined up with Scar's chosen heir and run away from their homes and betrayed their prides. Of course that's what everyone thought. Noone listened to Kiara and Kovu, therefor this was the result of that. Simba began to announce their fate:" Kiara has betrayed our pride by running away and joining up with this outsider, Kovu!"

Everyone gasped! They couldn't believe that it was actually true! The so called "gossip" and rumors were indeed facts. Their future queen exiled!

Finally, Simba pronounced them officially exiled from the Pridelands and Zira pronounced them officially exiled from the Outlands. "Kovu, Keeyana, Nova, and… Kiara, from this day on you are here by banned from the Pridelands FOREVER!" Simba boomed.

" Now! Kiara, Nova, Keeyana, and… Kovu, from this day on you all are banished from the Outlands FOREVER!" Zira snarled. "That means neither of you 4 can ever show your sorry faces around these parts ever again!" Zira yelled. The animals around them had fire in their eyes, and the 4 cubs saw it! They stood in shock and horror at what they saw around themselves. Nala wept atop of Pride Rock, and Zazu tried to calm her as she tried to stop Simba from making the decision he had already made. The other lionesses held her back and had to growl at her to keep her under control, but Queen Nala snarled and clawed her way out of the pride. Nala ran to the top where Simba stood and tried to call after the cubs to come back, but when she got to the top, the cubs were out of site.

"It's all our fault isn't it?" Nova said quietly.

"Of course not! You see, they think a lion has to be in a pride to be cared for," Kiara coped. "Their theory is wrong! Why can't they let us care for 2 innocent, baby cubs?" asked Kovu. "Oh well, as long as were rouges, we might as well be happy together. Besides, isn't that what we've wanted Kiara? Now all 4 of us can live peacefully together forever!" Kovu said. "Wow Kovu! I never saw it like that until now. You're right!" Kiara shouted happily. "Yay!" the two baby cubs chimed in. "C'mon, let's all go to the waterfall garden for the evening", Kovu said gently. So away they romped, all together, happily.

After playing in the waterfall for awhile, Kovu and Kiara were about to give their squirmy cubs baths, when a huge thunderclap struck! Startled, they all rushed to find shelter, but in a jungle with all those trees, well it seemed hopeless. "What are we gonna do?" Yelled Kovu braving the storm. "Where do we go where lightning won't strike us?" "Hey! Remember the cave you found us in? We can hide out there for shelter!" shouted Nova. "Great thinking!" shouted Kiara. But we'll have to keep downwind and move quickly across the jungle!" instructed Kiara. "Now move!"

They dodged quickly at first, but then out of the bushes a wild possum pounced on Keeyana and scraped her back. She screamed, trying to get to away, and Kiara slashed the possum away with one swipe of her paw. Keeyana was badly wounded and very weak. Kiara carefully scooped her on her back while Nova held on to her tightly. They raced as fast as they could and finally made it to the cave, weary and tired. Kovu and Kiara nursed their cubs half the night, until they fell asleep.

The next morning it was still pouring rain outside. Nova & Keeyana remained asleep for quite awhile. In fact, Kiara and Kovu didn't even go out to hunt until their cubs woke up. "Are you ok Keeyana?" Kiara asked. "I'm feeling better," Keeyana said tiredly. Kiara smiled. "We'll go get you guys some breakfast ok?" Kovu told them. "Sure. I'm starved!" groaned Nova.

That afternoon, Kovu and Nova went exploring in the jungle, while Keeyana and Kiara lounged around the waterfall. The two of them played around and talked a bit. "Are you sure your ok Keeyana?" Kiara asked. "I'm fine", Keeyana answered. "I'll race you down the waterfall!" Keeyana laughed. Kiara chased after her, but Keeyana had secretly taken a shortcut to the top of the waterfall by climbing up the stones when Kiara wasn't looking. "Where are you?" Kiara shouted playfully. "Up here! I'm comin down!" Keeyana shouted, giggling. "Wait for me! You can't go down alone!" Kiara gasped as she saw Keeyana look down the enormous 50-ft. high waterfall cliff. "Huh?" Keeyana turned to answer Kiara, but the wet, muddy grass underneath her paws made her slip, and she came sliding down the waterfall. Kiara dove in and swam to catch her.

Keeyana landed with a splash in the water. She floated to the surface and found herself in a calmer area of the waterfall. Keeyana, of course was now in a shallower part where her hind legs touched the bottom.

Kiara swam all around the waterfall area desperately searching for Keeyana. Keeyana was testing the water depths, and went a little to close to the deep waves, and yelled when she slipped under. She paddled desperately to stay above, yelling for help. Kiara saw Keeyana panicking to stay afloat, and she sped over to her.

Just before she reached her, Keeyana sank under a bit. Kiara quickly dove under to save her. She grabbed Keeyana by her neck and pulled her to the surface. Keeyana panted and choked, so Kiara took her to a small grassy area by a shallow pool of water on the other side of the waterfall. Kiara held her and licked her dry. " Are you o.k. Keeyana?" Kiara gasped. " I guess so. I'm sorry! I slipped by accident!" Keeyana breathed. " I'm just glad you're alive!" Kiara whispered. The two of them nuzzled and relaxed for awhile.

Back in the jungle, Kovu and Nova were playing tag. Although Nova was still an infant cub, he was stronger now and more developed with his skill. But still, Kovu went easy on him and played gently. Just then, Kovu was it, and Nova frantically looked for a place to run to. He spotted a skinny, yet sturdy palm tree that he could scramble up. There was a branch he could scramble up too. He raced for the tree and struggled to climb up it, but when he saw Kovu coming, he pushed himself to go farther, until he finally made it! He leaped onto a tree branch and gave Kovu the raspberries. "Oh yeah little guy?" Kovu answered. "Little guy? Why I'm King of the Jungle!" Nova boasted. He gave a meek roar to Kovu, but Kovu just laughed. " I'll show you a real roar!" Kovu said. He took a deep breath and roared a loud cub-like roar. Nova gasped. "Wow! Not bad. Cool! Can you teach me to roar like that Kovu?" asked Nova. " Sure! But you'll have to practice a lot", Kovu said. "I will! I promise!" said Nova. Just then, a buzzard flew right above Nova's head. He gasped and yelled. " Nova look out!" Kovu yelled. It flew so low, that it knocked Nova off his branch. Nova screamed, and Kovu leaped to catch him. Nova's feet landed right on top of Kovu's head. Kovu gently lifted him off his head and into his arms. He held him tightly against his chest.

"Good catch," Nova said nervously.

"Are you ok now?" asked Kovu, "You gave me quite a scare!"

"I'm ok," said Nova quietly.

"Come on. Let's go find Kiara and Keeyana," said Kovu.

That evening after they had dinner, Nova and Keeyana ran off to play in the jungle's waterfall garden.