THE LION KING III: A NEW BEGINNING

CHAPTER ONE (KIARA)

Most girls want their first time to be perfect. They want rose petals and soft, satin sheets. They want warm, vanilla scented candles and they want to be in some castle in a foreign country like France or Italy. They want their lover to have sweet, skilled hands and an innocent smile. They want it all.

I don't.

I don't care where I am. I could be in a dirty alley in Harlem or I could be in a small closet with my parents in the next room. You don't have to bring candles and you can leave the scented oils at home. I don't mind in you don't know what you are doing, because I don't either. You don't need experience and it is okay if it doesn't feel good. We have time to get better, together.

If I am with you, my true love, it doesn't matter if you are Prince Charming. It doesn't matter if you have a smile that makes girl melt, because I love your smile. I love every bit of you, even the parts you don't love. I love the things you try hide and I adore the way you try to hide them. All those other girls are wrong. It is okay not to be perfect.

I know my parents don't like you, and I know your parents wouldn't have liked me. I know your sister hates me, and I know that it kills you inside. It hurts me too, but we can't change how others feel. And I can't change how I feel about you. I have never felt like this, and I am not sure what it is I am feeling. I could never tell you this, but I think it is love I am feeling.

I hope get the same feeling when you are with me. Because whenever I hear those girls talking about silly satin sheets and a dark lit room, I just laugh. I think of you and I know that my first time will be perfect. Even if your hands are shaking and if I can't stop stuttering, it will be perfect. As long as I am where my heart belongs, anything will be alright.

With you, Kovu, everything will be alright.

"There will be rules in this house," said my father, Simba King, as he paced back and forth in front of the two teenage Outlanders standing in our living room. "You will both have chores that you must attend to weekly, you have to keep up your grades, and you will have curfew," he lectured, causing me to sigh as I sat on the couch, watching him practically scold our guests. "You will both be assigned bedrooms. We have more than enough room for you two." I thought it was strange that he was using words like "assigned". I guess he was trying to make himself seem like a strict authority figure, but he was just making himself look like a huge prick…

"And girls will stay in their rooms, boys will stay in theirs, absolutely no exceptions." My flushed red and my eyes got wide. I wanted to scream at my father for even suggest that Kovu would try to sneak in my room, but I kept silent, trying to hide the fact that my cheeks were pink. Kovu didn't even flinch. I wondered if he was even listening to my dad. I looked at my mom, Nala King, who was standing silently in the doorway of the kitchen. She just smiled, understanding my obvious embarrassment.

"But above all, have fun, and don't ever feel that you can't talk to me or Mrs. King. We are here for you. You are part of the family now," said my dad. I watched as Kovu's older sister, Vitani, snickered at the word "family". Kovu gave her a look and she stopped. I knew she wasn't exactly happy about moving into our home, but she didn't have to be rude about it.

After Zira's death, many Outlanders were left abandoned, homeless, and hopeless in the Outlands. There was no food, no water, and unforgiving heat throughout their lands. My parents couldn't help but feel bad for Kovu and Vitani, so they offered them a home where they wouldn't have to worry about where their next meal would be coming from.

I was shocked when I heard my dad, my arrogant, pigheaded, dad, decided to open our home to two Outsiders, even if they were our relatives. I was even more shocked when I heard that Kovu and Vitani agreed to stay with us. They were just so different from Pridelanders. They were rough, they were rebellious, and they truly didn't give a shit about anyone except their family and their honor. I am still not sure why they decided to move in. I mean, who would want to live here? Rules, school, chores, responsibility, it sucked.

But I am glad they decided to move in.

I am glad that Kovu decided to move in.

There was something about him, something that I found… interesting. Intriguing, maybe. There was something in his green eyes that made my heart freeze. There was a tone in his voice that made me wonder what he had been through when he was growing up. I knew his childhood had been drastically different then mine, but exactly what troubles had he seen? What pain had he endured? Why did he have a scar across his right eye? Why did I care…?

"Show me to my room, Princess?"

I almost jumped at the sound of his voice. I looked up and saw Kovu hovering over me, a cocky smile on his face. Vitani stood behind him, here arms crossed and her mouth forming a tight frown. I wondered why she hated me so much, but I shook it off and stood up, assuming she was just unhappy with her new life in the Pridelands. But it wasn't like anyone was forcing her to stay.

"Sure," I spoke, my voice not sounding the way I wanted it to. "And don't call me Princess, dickhead." It was more of a playful insult than an actual warning, but Kovu just smiled and laughed.

"Watch that tongue, Princess. What would Daddy say if he knew you were doing such dirty things with it?" Kovu shot back. I just giggled and led Kovu and Vitani upstairs to their rooms.

I could tell by the look on their faces that they had never seen a house like this before, but they didn't want to say anything about it. Our house was large and extravagant. They were probably thinking that it was amazing, but I hated it. It was big, empty, cold, and lifeless. I was just glad a few more people were moving in. Maybe it would get that "homey" feeling after awhile.

My father was President of the Pridelands. After saving the lands from a reign of political instability, he came to power, and I guess he was a good leader, because the people loved him. I wasn't a fan of his job. He spent many hours away from us, and when he did come home he had papers to fill out, people to call, and asses to kiss. He never had time for his family anymore, but it didn't matter that much anymore. I was grown, and I didn't really need him.

Either did Dante.

Dante was my older brother. He was eighteen, only two years older than me. He thought he was the smartest guy to walk the Earth, and he definitely thought he was smarter than me. I knew I was the smart one, but he didn't know that. He was my brother, and I loved him, but sometimes he was so fucking annoying…

"Vitani, this is where your room is," I stated, opening the door of her room. She didn't smile or thank me or even acknowledge my existence, which was fine with me. She just walked past me and thre her single bag to the floor, ambling to the window, where she began to stare at the world. I watched her for a second, but then I shut the door.

"I guess I will leave her to her…" I thought for a moment, "to her… whatever she is doing." Kovu smiled silently, holding the straps off his backpack tightly. His backpack was his only bag. All his belongings in this world were in that one, small bag. He probably didn't even have another change of clothes. Outlanders' lives were definitely different than ours.

"And this is our-" I began, opening the door to Kovu's new room, when Dante walked down the hallway, interrupting me.

"Hey! Is this our new roommate?" he asked, his voice light and carefree.

"I am not sure you would consider him your roommate. I mean, he has his own room…" I started, but my voice was small and my words were unimportant.

"I'm Kovu," he said, putting his hand out to Dante. Dante shook it with a smile.

"Adopted Cousin Kovu, I am liking it." Dante said. I just shook my head. "Hey Kiki, is this the guy you have been talking about? 'Cause your right, he is a cutie!" My eyes grew round and my I could feel my face get hot. Dante laughed his loud, manly laugh. "Calm down, Kiara, I was just fucking around! I was just fucking with you!" I gave him the death stare and hoped he would go away. I never even said Kovu was a "cutie". I never even talked about Kovu before.

"Well, welcome to the family, dude!" said Dante, going into his room. I tried to pretend he didn't just say that, and I took a deep breath, continuing my tour of our house,

"As I was saying, before I was rudely interrupted, this is your room." I opened the door to Kovu's new room and let him in. He took his backpack off and placed it on his bed, and then sat down next to it. He just looked around, as if he was analyzing his new surroundings.

"Do you like it?" I said a happy tone in my voice. I sat down next to him, the bed genteelly bouncing up and down under me. He didn't talk for a while, he just looked straight ahead.

"Yeah, yeah, it is amazing. All of it. It is just so, different…" his voice sort of trailed off. "I never had any of this stuff, you know? I never had a nice view or my own room or a big, plush bed…" I didn't talk because I knew he didn't want me to. I was just silent.

"And you know what else?" he added.

"What?"

"You are in my room. You are a girl in a boy's room. You are a naughty girl," Kovu said, lightening the mood. "I am starting to think you want to get me kicked out, Princess."

"I am not!" I laughed. "And what did I say about calling me Princess, Cutie?" I said, glad that I had an embarrassing name to call him know.

"I think you said you loved it, but whatever." I stood up, shaking my head at Kovu's words.

"Yeah, whatever…" I couldn't think of what to say next to him. So I said nothing. "See ya, Kovu."

"See ya."

And I left. And I knew that I loved him.