A/N: Woooooooohooooo! I'm on fire, baby! LOL, okay just read it if you want.

Rhiannon Aurorafai: I told you I just like to mess with you guys! :P You almost fell for it!

Anyway, on with the story, eh?

Chapter Fourteen: Trouble in the Grasslands

To Kiara, it didn't feel as if they'd gone any farther. Everything around them looked and felt the same-tall green grass and wide open skies. It was at nightfall that everything started to look different. Loose dry sand sat under their paws and patches of grass were scattered here and there. The sky had grown cloudy, hiding the thin slit of moonlight. A roll of thunder sounded off, giving the hint that it would rain. Kovu stopped in his tracks and looked up at the sky.

''Let's call it a night since it's going to rain,'' he suggested. It was the first thing he said to her after earlier that morning.

''Okay,'' Kiara said, just before her stomach grumbled loudly. She was surprised she'd forgotten how hungry she was. She couldn't recall the last time she ate.

''I guess I should go and get us something to eat, I'm kinda hungry myself,'' Kovu said, then nodded his head toward a tree nearby. ''you can stay under there until I get back.''

''Why do I have to stay here? I'm the one who's-'' Kiara started to protest, but didn't get to finish.

''Look, just stay over there, okay? You don't look strong enough to hunt anyway,'' Kovu commanded.

''Whatever,'' Kiara muttered under her breath; trudging over to the tree. She slumped beneath the low branches, watching Kovu trot away into the distance.

Thunder boomed loudly, followed by steady drops of cool rain. Kiara huffed irritably as rain dripping through the gaps in the tree lightly hit her fur. It was only moments before it began to pour and Kovu still hadn't returned. Kiara's fur was soaked and she was starting to get cold. Besides that, she was getting very restless. She was on the verge of getting up to search for when a figure approaching her stopped her.

Finally, she thought.

As the figure drew closer, she noticed that its form was exceedingly peculiar. It's body was half the size of Kovu's and its back was the shape of a large hump. Right then she knew that it wasn't him at all, but a drooling hyena, followed by another.

Spotting her, the two hyenas ran at full speed toward her, barking loudly. Kiara jumped to her feet, prepared to take them on. She bent back her ears and bared her teeth, growling fiercely.

One of the hyenas leaped forward onto her back, sinking its teeth into her flesh. Kiara roared in pain and surprise, then reached behind herself and used her teeth to grasp the dog's forearm, then flung him away. The other hyena tackled her, pushing her back onto the hard ground. Just before it bit into her neck, Kiara swatted its face with her claws. The hyena fell hard on the ground, angered and injured. Kiara stood back up and dove for it, slashing it all over its body. But before she could finish it off, the second one jumped at her from the side. The impact sent her sprawling onto her back. Both hyenas now stood above her, growling viciously. Just as they were going for her neck, a deafening roar from behind stopped them.

It was Kovu running at them. One of the hyenas abandoned Kiara to fight him, but Kovu, who was a lot stronger than they thought, swiped it away with one hit of his paw. The other hyena lunged at him, leaving Kiara alone. She stood to see Kovu running in circles, roaring painfully as the hyena clung to his forearm with its teeth. He tried to yank it off, but the dog only sunk its teeth deeper into his arm. Kiara dashed toward them and slapped the hyena away from Kovu, who fell to the ground.

Finally giving up, the two hyenas ran from them, defeated.

A/N: Scary huh? Probably not. Exciting? Probably not that either. Poor Kovu, he must be hurt! GASP What'll happen next??

I love making the chapters end in cliffhangers!