And here comes chapter 3!
(Sorry for the confusion. I thought there was a prologue option with setting up chapters. I was wrong. It's been fixed now.)
Now before we get started I do have 3 things I want to point out to everyone real quick.
(1.)
I asked my other writers what they thought about the rating system and they both thought it would be for the best to boost the rating up to T just to be safe. Does this mean that there will be adult themes? No. I don't write like that. The only reason the rating is changing is to just make me and my fellow authors sleep well at night. So all that's going to really change is that there is going to be a big T sign at the front of the story. Content will still remain clean and family friendly.
(2.)
Some people have been asking about a backstory about the haunted cave. It doesn't really have one as of now. Making it haunted was just a fun idea Candy Man 234 had since in one of his stories it had a cub driving a ghost out of a haunted cave. I also now put that explanation at the end of the last chapter as well. (Sorry for misleading any theorist about the matter.)
(3.)
Finally (and most importantly) I'm doing some spring cleaning in the review section. Why? Because the review section is for "reviews". I've seen stories that have review sections filled with arguments and conversations between guests. I don't want this story (or any story that I write) to turn into a drama house or a debating club.
So as of now, any reviews that have no real relevance to the story, myself, or the authors will be taken off in order to avoid drama wars, disputes, or arguments among other guests. If that's what you want the go on Twitter. This is a place for giving opinions on stoires and pointing out errors, not making enemies and causing violence.
Now without further a due, Enjoy!
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Ch. 3 Not as Perfect as She Thought
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That night, Kiara got very little sleep. The events that happened yesterday were just nagging at her. Her father's strange behavior, her mother revealing her own parent's fate, Kovu's obnoxious attitude, even Vitani's words; all of it was just stuck in Kiara's head and no matter how hard she tried she couldn't get them out. All through the night the young lioness consistently fell asleep and awakened in a restless pattern.
Eventually, the first light from the sun began its journey through out the Pride Lands. Kiara opened her dreary eyes to see that morning had finally come. Despite her tired state, she still could think back to the events from the other day.
"What was Vitani talking about?" Kiara thought to herself, "Kovu is nothing like he used to be. But… he has been acting strange for some reason." She quickly shook the thought from her head. She'll just have to talk to Kovu about it the next time she got the chance.
"Morning, Kiara."
The golden lioness gasped and looked up to see her brother Kion standing over her. His red mane was laid back, giving him a more casual composure compared to that of Simba.
"Kion?'" Kiara yawned as she looked up at the male, "What are you doing?"
"Weren't you told?" her brother asked with a raised brow, "Mom and Dad wanted to talk to us about something."
"Wait…" Kiara's eyes widened as she remembered what Vitani told her last night about her parents wanting to speak to her, "Right now?"
"Yeah," Kion affirmed. Kiara sat there for a moment in disbelief. As she looked outside she saw that the sun was still gradually rising. What was so important that her parents wanted to talk to her this early in the morning? It didn't make any sense to her, but Kiara decided that it was better not to question it and just go and see what was going on.
"Something wrong, sis?" Kion asked, slowly following behind her sister as she got to her feet and started to walk away.
"No," Kiara replied, "Why would you think that? I just got up."
"Come on, Kiara," Kion pressed, "You can't hide it from me. Kovu never came in to sleep with you last night. And all through the night you were tossing and turning in your sleep. Did something happen that I should know about?"
The golden lioness grew nervous when she heard the concern in her brother's voice. Kion's protectiveness was one that could rival their own parents. If he found out about the argument she had with Kovu yesterday, an all-out fight would happen between them. That, of course, was something Kiara wanted to avoid at all cost.
"It's nothing, really," Kiara said politely, trying to get Kion to stop pushing the matter, "Mom told me that Dad has recently had trouble with his past again. Plus, she told me what happened to her family during Scar's rule. Since then I've just been… worried for them."
Kion eyed her closely observing her facial expressions to try to read if there was something more to the story then what Kiara was telling him. Luckily, he didn't pick up on anything else.
"Well, they're strong lions," Kion said giving his sister a comforting nuzzle, "They'll pull through. They always do." Though Kion kept a confident smile on his face, Kiara continued to have a doubtful look. It had been years since those events had happened to her parents. If they still weren't over them by this point, she doubted they ever would be truly free of such torments.
Upon making their way outside, they saw both Simba and Nala looking at them with gentle smiles on their faces. Kion returned the gesture while Kiara just gave them a nervous smile. As they began walking towards their parents, that's when Kiara noticed that they weren't the only ones there. On the sidelines, Kovu was standing by the den's entrance, watching as Kiara and Kion came out.
"Kovu?" Kiara asked as she saw her mate standing off to the side, "What are you doing here?"
"Kiara…" he let out a sigh, not wanting to get into another argument like last night, "Vitani told me that Simba wanted to speak to you about something. I just… want to make sure everything is alright." Though the young male seemed sincere in his reasoning, Kiara still gave him a skeptical look. She thought back to what Vitani told her last night, and whether it was true, it made Kiara look at Kovu with an expressionless face. He didn't even try to apologize or make amends for how they left that conversation off, and that concerned her a bit.
Not wanting to push the matter, the three made their way to Simba and Nala before the two rulers sat them down.
"Kiara, Kion, Kovu," Simba addressed the group, "Thank you for coming here so early." Kiara gave her father a questioning look. It wasn't like him to be so formal with them.
"Dad," she hesitantly began, "What is this all about?" Simba's smile faded a bit as he took a more solemn expression on his face. He looked at the faces of his children (including Kovu since he is now his son in-law) and decided that it was time they received the truth about what had gone on.
"I knew that this day would come," Simba began slowly, "I just… thought I'd be ready for it." Everyone looked at each other for a moment, wondering what Simba was trying to say. Eventually, Simba explained himself: "You all know about Scar and about all the things he had done to me and my family?"
"Of course," Kovu replied, "Who doesn't by this point?"
"Well…" Simba began again, "To this day, I still think back to that time at the gorge where my father died. I remember my uncle leading me there… the sound of wildebeest thundering around me… watching my father fall to his death." Simba paused for a moment and shut his eyes, trying to press back the emotions of the memory. Though it was difficult, he managed to compose himself for the sake of those he was telling.
"I still think back and wonder what I could have done differently," Simba said as he looked out at the land behind him, "What would have happened if I had returned home instead of run off? Could I have prevented all of this? Could I have stopped the horrors and destruction that Scar brought to the Pride Lands?" There was a moment of silence as everyone looked at Simba with concern. He had never been this open about his past before with anyone.
"Dad…" Kiara tried to comfort her father, "It's alright now. You didn't know what was going on. No one could have known what was going to happen. At least Mom and Grandma survived those times. It could have been much worse then it actually was."
"It was worse, Kiara!" Simba suddenly shouted at his daughter, causing everyone to back up from his sudden rage, "My father was just the first victim of Scar's tyranny! Once Scar claimed the throne, he started getting rid of anyone who posed a threat to his rule. He killed cubs, Kiara, cubs! Good friends of mine that I knew when I was but a child, he took their lives because he considered them a threat!"
This left Kiara and the others speechless by what they heard. They knew Scar was a terrible ruler… but… killing cubs? What lion… no… what creature could destroy a cub because they are considered a 'threat'?
"I thought it was over when I came back…" Simba continued explaining, "I thought I stopped the pain and heartache, but it was just the beginning. Zira started an uprising with Scar's followers and took the lives of several lionesses, including your grandmother, Sarabi. Because of Zira, we lost half of our Pride and left many families broken and destroyed. That's why Tiifu and Zuri were so close to us. When they were young, their mothers were some of the lionesses who fell victims to Zira's violent revolt, so we took them in."
"What?" Kiara gasped.
"It's true…" Nala stepped in and helped Simba explain, "Their mothers grew up during Scar's rule. When the Pride Lands were just starting to get life, they were so ecstatic for seeing the Pride Lands as it should have been. They later met some charming rogues and had Tiifu and Zuri, but when Zira and her Outlanders attacked early on, they were lost in the fighting."
Kiara sat down for a brief second, shocked by what she just heard. Kion, as well, had a similar reaction. They had been told from a young age that Tiifu and Zuri's parents were just off traveling and visiting other prides and would return one day. Tiifu and Zuri grew up believing that their parents were some kind of grand adventurers and that they simply passed away on an expedition. Realizing that all this time that they had long since been dead… and because of Zira… made them realizing just how much they didn't know about the true past of the Pride Lands.
"All this time…" Kion staggered a response, "You've been lying to us?"
"Kion," Kiara tried to reason with her brother and tell him that they should at least hear their parents out, but the leader of the Lion Guard wouldn't have it.
"You told us that Zira and her supporters were exiled the moment they revealed themselves! You never said anything about them doing any harm to the pride or to our friends!" Simba and Nala remained silent as Kion continued his rage filled announcement: "Why?! Why have you never told us what really happened back then?"
"Because you didn't need to know!" Simba countered, earning a rather surprised look from his son, "You all need to understand. Nala and I never meant to leave you all in the dark like this! We have both suffered great losses over they years, so we decided that there was no point in you sharing our pain. We tried to give you the lives that we wished we had, lives without this kind of pain and torment. I hope you all understand why we did this."
Her father's words, made Kiara look at the Lion King in disbelief. All those times he would become depressed and reclusive; she thought that he was still blaming himself for what happened to Mufasa. Now she realized it was more than that. Sarabi… Simba's cubhood friends… the pride… Nala's parents… her best friend's parents… Simba was carrying the thought of being responsible for all of their fates. What was more, he kept these events secret from her and Kion.
Looking back at her early cub years with a new perspective on the matter, Kiara began to see a different world then the pampered one she thought she had been given. Keeping her away from the Out Lands and being watched by Timon and Pumbaa finally began to make more sense in her head. Her parents had lost so much and had struggled to keep what little joy they had left. They were shielding her… from a life that she had truly been born into.
Kiara didn't cry often, but now she felt her eyes start to mist up from realizing what was really happening. Her pampered life… her constant sheltering… they were just trying to keep her from what was really going on in the world. Now, knowing what her family has gone through for her and Kion's sake, how could she not feel terrible for her parents? Though knowing this now gave her sympathy for her father and his condition, there was one lion among them who didn't quite share their thoughts on the matter.
"Well… I'm sorry to hear that." All eyes turned to Kovu, who looked surprised by this news as well, but he had a curious tone rather than a regretful one. Looking at Simba, he asked: "What does this have to do with me though?"
"Because I'm done keeping secrets from my daughter… and I expect you to follow my example, Kovu."
"Dad?" Kiara questioned as she watched her father walk up to her now nervous mate.
"I know Zira must have told you about your part that you played in all of this when you were young," Simba glared at Kovu as started to address him: "So don't think for a second that I've forgotten." Though Simba's words left Kiara in the dark, Kovu for some reason understood what Simba meant. As proof, he responded in a very defensive manner.
"H-Hey!" Kovu began, with wide eyes and a concerned look, "I already told you: that was a crime I did not commit!"
"Kovu?" Kiara asked, not understanding what was going on, "What are you talking about?"
"Nothing!" Kovu faced Kiara and began to back away, becoming more nervous by the second, "It's nothing! Simba shouldn't even be talking about it anymore, it happened so long ago!" This response from Kovu only gave more questions then answers. What were he and Simba talking about that earned this kind of nervous response? Though Kovu seemed to become a bit panicked, Simba kept a rather stern expression on his face.
"Either you tell her, Kovu," Simba threatened, "Or I will. She has to know."
"Not that…" Kovu shook his head in defiance, "Anything but that, Simba. Haven't you told her enough already, you old fossil?"
"Kovu!" Kiara exclaimed, now feeling a sudden surge of anger rise up inside her, "What are you not telling me?" Kiara didn't know what was going on with Kovu anymore, but she didn't like it. His attitude, his disrespect towards her last night, and now his attitude towards her father after he just revealed this scarring part of his past; Kiara has had enough at this point. She could understand him being disgruntled for waiting for her, but this?! This attitude towards her family was unacceptable!
Seeing that Kiara wasn't about to drop the subject, nor anyone else for that matter, Kovu sighed before trying to think of a way to tell Kiara. The only problem now… was trying to make her understand why he wasn't at fault.
"Ok… ok." Kovu conceded, "You want to know what happened? Fine! I'll tell you. Still…" Kovu then looked back at Simba and called out in an annoyed tone: "That's real brave of you, Simba! You can tell Kiara about your other failures, but you're leaving me to tell her what actually happened to your first-born?"
"ROAR!"
Simba tried to lunge at Kovu in a furey, but Nala quickly grabbed on to Simba and held him back. As Nala stood between her king and the ex-Outlander, Simba glared daggers at Kovu and no longer cared if he made her daughter happy. Everything that he once did to stop the war between their prides completely slipped the Lion King's mind. All he knew was that Zira's son was making a mockery of the incident that happened all those years ago… and it angered him greatly.
Kiara now looked at both her father and her mate with both confusion and hurt in her eyes. What was happening? What started out as a revelation of the Pride Land's past was now turning into something else entirely. What did Kovu mean when he mentioned firstborn? Did something happen when she was young and nobody told her about it? Whatever the issue was, it was now getting way out of hand. Fortunately, her brother was thinking along the same lines as she was.
"Enough!" Kion growled as he got between the two males, "I don't know what's going on, but I think Kiara and I deserve some answers. Now!"
Eventually, Simba calmed down enough so that Nala didn't have to hold him back, but he returned Kovu's reply with this remark: "I thought I'd give you a chance, but if you are going to treat this like a petty matter then I'll just tell her myself."
"Tell me what?" Kiara asked as she walked up to her father to try and calm him down, "Dad, what is going on?" Simba looked back at his daughter as she talked to him. Though he tried his best to calm down and speak to her clearly, he just couldn't shake the hateful expression off his face.
"There is one more thing we've meant to tell you both for some time," Simba stated as he kept his eyes fixed on Kovu, who now was returning the glare, "Not long after I retook the throne, Nala and I had a cub… a son… before you and Kion came along."
"What?" both brother and sister exclaimed in shock. Simba wasn't at all surprised by their reaction, but he continued to speak on the matter to keep Kovu from changing anything. Because now he didn't trust the male to tell his mate exactly what happened.
"We named him Kopa," Simba continued, "and he meant the world to me, your mother, and the kingdom. He was so young… so full of life and adventure. He was my boy…" As Simba continued to speak, he began to get choked up as he revealed to Kiara that she had an older sibling. Though at the time he was just an infant, Zira still found a way to use Kovu for her own plan at getting revenge for what happened to Scar."
Kiara took a moment to process all of this. She had an older brother. Her and Kion actually had an older brother. It was just more secrets; more bad history hidden from her. If Simba had kept this from her then there would have to be a reason for such secrecy. If not for her feeling empty by his absence… then…
"Father, what happened to him?" Kion asked, pulling Kiara from her concentration and looking back at Simba, worried about what truly happened.
"During that time," Simba continued, "Zira was currently living at Pride Rock as one of our own and was taking care of Kovu, Vitani, and Nuka. Though he was but an infant at the time and probably doesn't remember anything, I'm sure Zira told Kovu about what happened back then."
"No!" Everyone turned to Kovu who tried to tell Simba off, "She didn't tell me anything! By the Great Kings, I swear I have no idea what you are talking about!"
"Then you're hearing it now." Simba spat back as he looked back at his children and continued to explain: "Zira used Kovu and his siblings to lure Kopa to a secluded part of Pride Rock… where she murdered him."
"Murdered?!"
Kiara and Kion gasped as they looked back at Kovu in shock. The male who claimed to have no knowledge of the incident suddenly froze up like a statue. His eyes darted everywhere, trying to think of who to talk to or what to say, yet his expression said it all. He knew exactly what Simba was talking about, and that… broke Kiara's heart.
"Kovu?" Kiara gasped as she walked up to the lion whom she had given her life just days earlier, "What… What have you…" she couldn't even finish her thought. She was just overwhelmed with emotions.
"Kiara, you have to believe me!" Kovu exclaimed again, "I had nothing to do with what happened to Kopa! Simba's lying!"
"Don't you dare call my father a liar!" now losing all patience, Kiara stuck her face into Kovu's and demanded: "Tell me what happened, now!" There was a moment of silence as Kovu looked at his mate with wide, shocked eyes. But after a moment, they softened, then his demeanor turned calm. He figured that he might as well get it over with since there was really no denying it now.
"Fine…" he sighed, "Yes, my mother used me and my sibling to bring Kopa to her. She got him, a fight broke out at Pride Rock, and Simba banished us all to the Out Lands. Happy now?"
"Happy? HAPPY?!"
Kiara had to make sure she was hearing this right. Did Kovu just brush off the matter like is was something petty? Was this all just a joke to him?!
"Happy?!" Kiara snarled in an appalled tone, "Kovu, how could you say something like that? You helped Zira… you helped her…" Kiara couldn't even finish the statement. How could Kovu even be a part of that? How could he have a paw in ending the life of a family member? Of her brother?
"I didn't know what I was doing!" Kovu tried to argue, "I was just a baby at the time, Kiara. The only reason I even know about was because Vitani and Zira told me about it back in the Out Lands! I didn't-"
"But you were there!" Kiara cut him off, "Even if you didn't remember it, you knew! You knew that you played a part of killing him! Why didn't you tell me about this, Kovu? You've lived with us for so long now. How could you have not told me about this?"
At this point, Kion wanted to step in and say something to Kovu, but Nala got in front of him too. With tears in her eyes, she shook her head, telling her son that he shouldn't get involved with this. Though it pained the queen to think back on the past and remember these tragedies, Kovu's involvement of her firstborn's demise was a matter between him and Kiara. They both need to work this out without intervention from them.
"I didn't think that it mattered!" Kovu responded, "Are you really trying to blame me for your brother's death, Kiara? I was just a cub! I couldn't even talk yet!"
"Maybe you didn't know what was happening then, but you know what you did now!" Kiara spat back, "I don't understand why you can't just take responsibility for the part you played! Why are you doing this Kovu?"
"WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?" Kovu roared, now getting so close that his muzzle was practically touching Kiara's, "You all weren't the only ones who suffered because of Scar you know! My childhood was taken from me by a psychotic lioness! I had to go days without food and water, rigorously training to kill a lion I didn't even want to kill! I never knew my parents and I never wanted to hurt anyone! Now I'm trying to put everything that happened to me behind and here you all are bringing it up and throwing it in my face!"
"What?" Kiara gasped as she laid her ears back in shock. That wasn't what she was trying to do at all! She knew that Kovu had a hard life and she could sympathize with him about it, but this was a different matter entirely! This was about her parents and the torments and losses they had to endure! Now, that Kovu was brought into this with the death of a family member, he tries to justify himself instead of admitting his part in the act.
All Kiara wanted to hear was an apology from Kovu. That's it. Why couldn't he just give her that? Why couldn't he just show a bit of remorse for what happened back then!
"Kovu! Please," she begged with her ears still laid back, "I don't mean it like-" yet Kovu stepped forward, pushing Kiara back as he began to tower over her.
"Tell me how I'm wrong again, Kiara!" Kovu dared, "Tell me how you're just not comfortable with my actions! If I'm such a bad lion then maybe it would be best if we never met! Would that make you happy?!"
SMACK!
Where once there was shouting, now there was a deafening silence as the sudden slap echoed throughout Pride Rock. Simba, Nala, and Kion stood there in shock as they watched what had just happened. Kovu… was just as dumbfounded. Where once he was looking down at Kiara, he felt a sudden sting on his left cheek that sent his head straight to the right. It took a moment, but he realized what just happened.
She… slapped him. She slapped him right across the face!
Slowly turning back, Kovu began to come down from his angry moment and looked at the lioness whom he had just sworn days ago to protect with his life. She was looking at the ground, with her eyes shut and tears streaming down her face and falling from the tip of her nose.
"Kiara…" Kovu gasped in an almost inaudible voice as he realized the words that had come out of his mouth… and the mistake that he made, "I… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to… I-I wasn't trying-"
"Shut up…" Kovu's maw dropped when he heard the seething tone in Kiara's voice, "Just… shut up."
Kiara then lifted her head and stared at Kovu with fiery amber eyes. She had run out of patience. She was done trying to listen and talk to a lion whom she could not reason with. Never had she noticed this side of Kovu before. Was it like what Vitani said? Was this angry, hurtful side of him always there and she, in her immature dream, pictured him as something else? In the end, the answer didn't matter. All that Kiara knew now was that this was the lion whom she had decided to marry and he just admitted to being involved in the death of a family member without even trying to offer an apology.
Whatever lion Kovu was… he was not thinking of anyone's feelings but his own.
"Kovu…" Kiara choked as she forced herself to say these four painful words that she never in her life thought she would ever have to say: "You broke my heart."
Having said that, she just couldn't take it anymore. Shutting her eyes, she sprinted down Pride Rock and out into the savannah, leaving behind a worried family… and a distraught Kovu.
"Kiara!" he desperately called out, "Please, wait!" he reached out with his paw, but he did not pursue. Whether it was because he was too shaken by the words that he let slip from his mouth or that he was too stubborn to admit he was wrong; Kovu stood and watched as the only lioness he ever had feelings for ran off… until she was out of sight. Unlike Kovu, however, Simba wasn't about to let his precious girl be alone; not after everything she had just heard.
"Kiara!" Simba cried out but he was stopped by Nala before he could run after her.
"Don't." Nala said, "she has to come to terms with this on her own." Nala said. The three lions then looked back at Kovu as he just absently stared out in the direction where Kiara just ran. Kion gritted his teeth in anger and mustered up as much self-control as he could to keep himself from tearing apart the lion who hurt his sister. Nala looked at Kovu with sympathy, for she had a feeling that part of Zira was still inside Kovu all along. Simba, though, looked at Kovu not with anger at him, but at himself for allowing him to get so close to his daughter.
"My baby girl…" Simba sighed as he hung his head, thinking how everything that had just happened here was because of him and his inaction to prevent all of this, "Please forgive me."
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Kiara ran through the grass field as fast as she could. She didn't care where she was going as long as she could get away from Kovu; from that lion who knew the fate of her older brother for so long and never even bothered to say he was sorry for the part he played in his death. It was bad enough she would never get to know this Kopa, it was bad enough that she would never experience a relationship with him like she did with Kion, but knowing that Kovu played a part in it was just too much for her. In fact, everything she had just heard was too much for the golden princess to handle.
"All this time…" Kiara angrily thought to herself, "They've kept me in the dark about what really happened… what they've really been going through!" She continued to blindly run through the Pride Lands ignoring the concerned looks that the other animals were giving her.
Overhead, clouds began to gather as the approaching thunderstorm began to announce it's arrival with the booming sound of thunder rumbling in the distance. Kiara stopped in her tracks when she felt the slight drops of rain hit her. A storm was coming… and Kiara didn't even seem to notice it until it was right on top of her.
Typical.
She frantically looked around to find any shelter from the coming storm as the rain started to change from a soft drizzle to a gradual downpour of water. With very few trees in the area, and having little in terms of cover, Kiara continued to search for a suitable source of shelter. She didn't want to go back to Pride Rock, not after all that had just happened.
Eventually Kiara stumbled upon the cave from yesterday. Makini did say that she could always use it in case she ever needed to get away for a bit. Right now, Kiara felt like this was very convenient.
She hesitantly walked inside which caused the water on her fur to fall and splattering on the floor, the pads of her paws making a pattering echo as she traveled further and further into the cave. Eventually, she came to the back most part where the once tranquil pool of water was now having small drops of rain fall from the cracks of the ceiling and into it. Without a word, Kiara walked up to the edge of the pool, collapse on the floor, and began to sob.
She thought she knew who she was now. Everything should have been so clear by this point. Now, she finds out that the perfect life she and her brother had been living was nothing but a hoax, built on the backs of secrets her father had kept from her to spare her feelings. Though she understood why Simba did what he did… it saddened Kiara so much. She could handle knowing the truth of life not being perfect, but knowing that all this time her parents held themselves responsible for all the heartache and pain over years for her sake broke her heart.
Picking her eyes up out of her paws, Kiara looked down at the pool of water at her reflection. Once it was so easy to see in the tranquil and still water, now it was distorted because of the agitated rippling caused by the several small drops of water that were leaking from the hole of the den's ceiling. It was amazing at how such small little things could leave such a distorting impact on how reality looked. Kiara just sat there, listing off all of the things she her parents told her as she watched the drops of water fall, one after the other
"Destroyed families…broken dreams… violence… heartache…" She said out loud to herself. All of these things Simba and Nala had endured, and for what? For her sake? Just so that she could live the perfect life? If so, then Kiara didn't want it. They had given her so much and they had endured such pain. Her happiness was not worth this much heartache! It shouldn't be worth this much heartache! None of these things should have happened!
"Why?" Kiara said out loud as she looked at her distorted reflection in the rippling pool, "Why did Scar have to kill Mufasa? Why did Dad have to lose all his close friends? Why did my Mom's parents have to die? Why did Kovu turn out this way? Why did I never get a chance to meet my older brother? Why? Why?! WHY?!"
In an act of pure emotion, Kiara stood to her feet and let out an angry roar as she slapped away a nearby rock that fell into the pool. She then looked up at the cloudy sky through the small crack in the ceiling. She didn't care about anything anymore. She just wanted to let out all of this frustration that she was feeling.
"My parents didn't deserve this!" Kiara shouted absently at the sky, "All that loss, all that pain, no one deserves to suffer through that! My father wishes things could be different, well now I do too! How can I be happy knowing that everyone else is suffering for my sake? I don't care how good of a life I had, they at least deserve something better than what was given them! Things could have been different for them… they should be different for them! I wish they had a better life! I wish everyone at Pride Rock had a better life!"
In saying that, Kiara once again tried to slap away another pebble with her paw, but this time as she raised her paw in the air, the water leaking from the ceiling caused the ground beneath her to become slippery.
Kiara let out a scream as she tripped on her other paw and tumbled into the pool of water, instantly submerging. The shock of the cold water made her gasp taking water into her lungs. Kiara tried her best to swim up and break the surface, but she just… couldn't. Though she was a good swimmer, it felt like she was being dragged down deeper and deeper by some strange force. Realizing this, Kiara struggled harder to go upwards but no matter how hard she tried, she kept on going lower and lower into the pool.
What's worse, she was running out of air.
With all her might Kiara gave it her best effort, but it was no use. As Kiara continued her decent down into the dark depths of the pool, the light of the outside world began to vanish as she slowly and inevitably lost consciousness. In her mind, Kiara cried for it seemed like her life was ending right as her world was falling apart.
Little did she know... her journey had only just begun.
End of Chapter 3
Oh no! I hear them coming!
The Kopa fans... the Kopa haters... the Kovu x Kiara groups... the realists...
Oh my poor review section! ;)
Come next chapter, we'll get to see what we've all been waiting for... Kiara being in the past!
If anyone needs me I'm going to be riding out this TLK fan storm until the next chapter comes out in 2-3 weeks.
Until next time guys, this is Rogue Lion signing off.
(Locks the door to my titanium underground ANTI TLK fan bunker)
Review Response:
(As usual, you're support and reviews mean so much to me and my fellow authors. So thanks again to the first 10 guest reviews and to the others that followed. If you want me to respond to what you have to say without having to worry about being one of the first 10 to review, then just get an account and PM me a message or just review and I'll respond. I'd honestly like to talk with you without having to add 3k more words to a story. lol.)
Anyway, take care guys! :)
Gipsy avenger:
That's Disney for ya. They take realistic circumstance and make them like a fairytale. (Which can be good or bad depending on how well it goes)
I too wish they would have made him a bit more tougher in the movie too. He got knocked out with one kick by Vitani when the ambushed Simba. That's pretty bad. lol.
Lionguarddefend:
You're right about his "own" agenda. It's just not a diabolical one. He's just being selfish.
Potter13:
Yep. Vitani made an appearance. So that was nice for any Vitani fans.
Though it is sad that Kiara's heart was broken at least that pain has driven her to this point. Now we must see where her journey takes her now.
Hotrod:
Yep... Kovu in this AU is a jerk and a punk. Though it's clear that he can't help himself, it still doesn't change the fact that he just messed up big time.
Gokiara:
Thanks for pointing that out. It should be fixed now. If you find anything else let me know. I'm always trying to improve.
Jazzzzy:
Can you blame them? Nala wants grandcubs and Tiifu and Zuri want to be aunts. They aren't exactly getting any younger you know. lol.
LionKingfan:
Yeah... a lot happened. And as you can see by this chapter, Kovu ain't really that much better here.
Repoman:
She's still in that teenage stage, like in the movie. So she's not a full adult yet.
Something has given way... and now we'll see what is in store for our golden princess.
A ff critic:
Don't worry, I think I got all the errors now. Someone was kind enough to point them out earlier so chapter 1 (not the prologue) should be all fixed up.
Hmmm... it's interesting how you mentioned Kiara and a "nicer" lion. It's definitely seems like an option now.
:)
The equalizer:
Yeah... it's been a rough trip for Kiara these starting chapters. Hopefully things will start looking up for her as the story continues.
Thanks you all again for the great reviews.
:)
