Okay so this is my first fanfic. I hope you enjoy!
I always kinda feel bad for Kiara...she gets hated on so much. I re-watched SP recently and noticed that yeah, she is kinda of a brat and not very smart at times. So this story will be a twist on the movie that justifies her actions, I guess you could say.
Sorry I took so long to update...anyways, for those of you who read what I already wrote, I'm changing up the whole story line. These next few chapters will be before that scenario. I listened to another author (Shembre, author of "Just Beneath the Surface", which I really suggest you all read if you haven't already, it's realllly good!) and have decided that there was a time lapse between the rhino chase and stargazing scenes, during which this chapter and a few more will take place. Of course there are a few things that say there couldn't have been a time lapse (i.e. Zira doesn't seem to be the patient type), but I'll try to work those out.
Oh and in my story, Kovu is one sick puppy...(so is Zira but we already know that lol). You've been warned!
"Are you two comin' or what?" Timon's obnoxious voice called from the path up ahead. Kovu and Kiara looked at each other and walked off side-by-side, still embarrassed after that accidental kiss in the crevice.
Kiara had broken off first, even though, secretly, she had liked it. She couldn't let anyone know...she was the princess and he was just a rogue from the Outlands, he could never be her mate! Yet, she couldn't help but have feelings for him...Kovu was, afterall, the first male cub she had ever known. Ever since they first met, he had held a special place deep in her heart. Sometimes, she would find herself lying down on a high rock in the savanna, gazing at the renegade territories, wondering what his life was like, imagining what he looked like as an adolescent, as an adult...always hoping she would see him again...
She was, of course, beyond happy that he had decided to join her father's pride. She had been feeling nothing but joy ever since. But it was mostly joy of an old friend returning. Only now, after that kiss, was she starting to remember those old feelings...and to feel them once again.
She looked back at the maroon lion as they walked. Kovu was actually much better-looking than she had imagined. And a lot more attractive than all the other male lions she'd known. No matter how hard she tried to remind herself that it could never happen, that she would never be with him, she just couldn't keep her eyes off him. Kovu caught her glance and cleared his throat, while giving her an abashed smile.
Kovu was still bewildered by his experience, being chased by rhinos. He was completely exhilarated; the adrenaline rush only matched that of when he was in a fight. He hadn't thought much about the tense moment in the crevice. He could tell how Kiara felt about him and thought it was...a little cute. His mind was in a whirl for a moment, but as the excitement wore off, he went back to thinking about much more important matters: his mission.
He had almost done it that morning. He would've if that annoying princess hadn't distracted him. But he'd have another shot eventually. He knew he'd get it done then. Hopefully there wouldn't be another interference. He was so deep in thought that he didn't hear Timon saying his name.
"Hey, tough guy! Kovu!" The meerkat shouted from atop Pumbaa. "Hello!"
He quickly brought his focus back to the present. "What?"
"You alright, kid? You seemed a little-"
"I'm fine." He replied casually. "Just thinking."
Kiara was curious. "What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing!" He said very loudly and nervously. He realized he had slipped and wanted to claw himself in the face. "I mean, ummm...where are we going now?"
"Back to Pride Rock..." Kiara answered, somewhat offended after the way Kovu snapped at her. "My father is probably done with his rounds by now and always wants me there when he's back."
Pumbaa suddenly piped up. "Oh, Kiara, I forgot to tell you: Simba went to go see...oh what's her name...Malka! That's right, Queen Malka!"
"Pumbaa, we've been over this before..." Timon facepalmed himself. "Malka. Is. A. GUY!"
Pumbaa grunted. "But his name-"
"Who knows what went through that poor lion's parents' heads when they named him" He said sympathetically. "...and you know, your name means 'careless'!"
"B-b-but...it does not!"
"Yeah, it does!"
As the duo argued, Kiara sighed, exasperated.
"Something wrong?" Kovu asked.
"Kinda..." She sat down. "You see, Malka is my father's best friend...and, well, I'm betrothed to his son...I have a terrible feeling that they might already be planning our..." She hesitated. "...wedding."
"Oh...wow..." Kovu sat down next to her. "Getting married, huh?"
"I don't want to...Abidjan's a nice guy, but he's sooo self-conscious, a nervous wreck, really gullible...and, if you ask me, I really don't think he'll be able to handle being king..."
Kovu suddenly became inquisitive. "What did you say?"
"Hm? About Abidjan? He's aggravating, dependent-"
"No, you said something about him being...king."
"Yeah, whoever fathers my cubs becomes the next king. That's the law."
"Really? Whoever you have cubs with becomes king?" Kovu was now very interested.
"Uh-huh." Kiara was getting a little irritated. "And no matter what, the pride will have to accept him. Even if he's, like, I don't know, a killer or something. Traditionally, it should be my decision, but my father thinks he should have control of the whole situation, you know, because of how much it impacts the Pridelands. Actually, traditionally, my parents should try to have a son who would become the heir, but Dad has this crazy fear of sibling rivalries..." She got up and headed home, too preoccupied thinking of her Dad to notice Kovu's wicked smirk.
"Whoever fathers my cubs becomes the next king...And no matter what, the pride will have to accept him...even if he's, like, I don't know, a killer or something." The princess's words resonated in his mind as he got up and followed her.
It was almost too good to be true. Maybe he could take Scar's place as king not by killing Simba...but by making his life a living hell! It would also provide a safety in case he did decide to kill the king: although Kovu had been trained to fight off multiple lions at once, he was still unsure if he'd be able to hold off the Pridelander lionesses. They appeared much stronger than the Outsiders, so he himself had decided he would kill Simba when he was alone and far from Pride Rock, and then cover it up until he could contact his mother, after which the Outsiders would launch a full-scale invasion. But he hadn't known what to do if anybody figured him out before he got to Zira...until now. Even if he killed the king in front of every single lioness in the pride, they wouldn't be able to apprehend him. They wouldn't be able to deny him his throne. His mother would be so proud.
He looked at Kiara, feigning sympathy. "Wow, that's a lot of pressure...but its should be up to you...you should get to at least have a say..."
"Thanks! At least you understand..." Kiara stopped walking and nuzzled him joyfully as a gesture of friendship, catching him off guard slightly.
Kiara didn't notice Kovu's twisted grin return. He had clearly seen how she felt when they kissed, and now she was finding excuses to nuzzle Kovu. Fulfilling his destiny was going to be a lot easier than he thought...
Later that night, when everybody in the pride was asleep, Kovu sneaked away from Pride Rock. He had to inform his mother about his plan, who was expecting him to complete his mission within a day or two.
After trekking through the grasslands for a while, he crossed a river and entered the Outlands. A few lionesses were up scrounging around for termites. As soon as they noticed his presence, they alerted Zira.
She raced out to greet her son, and Nuka followed. Her eyes were filled with insane hope. "Kovu! You're back! Sooner than I expected!" She got up close to Kovu and her heart sank. "Something is missing..." She suddenly became outraged. "WHERE IS THE BLOOD ON YOUR PAWS! WHERE IS THAT SIMBA'S CORPSE?!"
He gulped, smiled weakly, and stated what he had been rehearsing. "Mother...how would you feel about being a...grandmother?"
Zira groaned, rolled her eyes, and brought her paw to her face. And so it begins...of course, it just had to be now! "Son, this is absolutely no time to-"
"You see, I found out today that...there's another way for me to become king than killing Simba..."
Zira seemed like she would explode. Her voice seethed with pure hatred. "SIMBA MUST DIE! SCAR HAS TO BE AVENGED!"
"Okay, okay...I will kill him...but, first, I think I'll torture him...mentally."
Zira was slightly relieved, and intrigued, when she saw a glint of evil in Kovu's green eyes, so much like Scar's. "Go on."
"I found out today...that, when the heir to the throne is a girl, the father to her cubs becomes the next king...and the pride will have to accept him..." He smiled and showed his teeth. "...even if he's a killer."
Nuka was the first to realize what he was hinting at. He shivered and let out a disgusted groan, looking first at Kovu and then at his mother. "You really sure that this sicko should be the chosen one? It's not too late-"
Zira glared at him for a moment to shut him up, but then looked back at Kovu. She herself was taken aback slightly, but also a tad impressed. She then chuckled in a way that made everyone a little uncomfortable. "I've said it before and I'll say it again...you really do have the same conniving mind that made Scar so powerful..."
"Alright, well, if I'm going to do this, I need you to give me some time, alright?"
"Why, of course! Now, go, do what you must! Just do me one favor...let me know before Simba discovers this...so I can be there to see the look on his face...he'll be so perfectly... tormented...when he finds out you've poisoned his bloodline." Zira cackled.
With that, Nuka turned away and started gagging. "I think I'm gonna be sick..."
Okay, I hoped you liked it! That was pretty fun to write lol...oh and let's see if any of you can figure out how I came up with Abidjan's name!
EDIT 8/30/13: So I've decided to name my chapters lol. During the song "My Lullaby", one of the lines is: "Until he learns to be a killer, with a lust for being bad!" Lmao I just think that really fits Kovu in my story xD