Ah, finally, eh? I suppose using a more interesting font makes writing more interesting too (not that it isn't). I just haven't really been feeling in the all and entire mood lately. I had to get this done though. I want to finish it. And...I have been getting some good ideas for it. So, look out for more soon!
Chapter 3
"You were gone for a while, Kovu." Kiara said in a relieved voice that she was happy to let out now that she was out of earshot from her father. "I was starting to get worried." She was walking next to Kovu on their way back to Pride Rock.
Kovu flashed her a highly convincing smile. "I'd never leave you guys."
Kiara sighed, beaming down at her paws in a slightly shy matter. "I...I knew you wouldn't."
That night, Kiara did just as she said she would by taking Kovu out on a high, grassy hill to star-gaze. This surprised Kovu. After all of cubhood, living in the Outlands where almost every promise and word was broken...he found a place where almost every promise and word was fulfilled. Kiara was a very honest lioness, as was many of the other lionesses who lived in the Pride Lands. In fact, every animal in the Pride Lands seemed to keep their promises and words in many different ways. Did Simba teach them this? Were things always this way? How were they so sure they could keep a promise? And more so...how do they keep a promise almost every time they say they will? Questions like these floated about in Kovu's mind as he lay sprawled on his back, gazing up at the stars. Now that Kiara showed him, it sorta made more sense than when she had mentioned it to him earlier that day.
"See that one?" Kiara's voice jolted Kovu from his thoughts. The golden-furred lioness pointed her paw straight up at the now dark-blue sky that was filled with clusters of stars. "That's King Ahadi, and next to him is Queen Uru."
"And they were...?" Kovu stared at Kiara expectantly.
"Oh," Kiara smiled. "they were King Mufasa's parents."
"That would also make them Scar's parents, right?" Kovu asked quite bluntly and openly, causing Kiara to glance at him with an unpleasantly surprised expression on her face. As true as that was, she was not exactly ready to start talking about Scar, or anything about him.
Pushing that aside, however, she nodded awkwardly, "Yes...yes, that would make them Scar's parents as well."
Kovu didn't seem to notice the lioness's uneasiness, however. He looked around the sky, his greenish-blue eyes reflecting the glow of the stars.
"That-that one," Kiara muttered, trying to cut the silence. "that's King Mohatu."
"Mmm," Kovu nodded, not exactly sure which star Kiara was pointing out. "yeah, yeah...that looks like it'd be his star." He looked away completely from Kiara and soon sat up, gazing down at his paws.
"Is something wrong?" Kiara asked in a concerned tone.
"Nothing." Kovu shook his head, turning to look back at her now.
He watched in slight awe as Kiara rose up, sitting at his height. Her golden-brown fur looked quite beautiful in the moonlight, as did her eyes. In fact, as Kovu looked on, he'd go as far as saying Kiara was straight-out beautiful, without the light of the moon being there.
With him being from the Outlands, however, the first thought he had about her was quite vile...he was positive Simba would have his pelt for doing what he wanted to do now. Kiara was so oblivious though.
Should he?
No. Kiara would never trust him again.
"Is something wrong?" The lioness asked suddenly.
"Nothing's wrong." Kovu growled lowly, causing Kiara to jump a bit, startled by his new, gruff tone of voice. Why did she keep asking? He'd already told her he was fine. Several times already tonight. Did he really appear that bothered?
"I'm..I'm very well, thank you." He added hastily, glaring off into the distance. The sound of those two last words to his sentence felt awkward and wrong coming off his tongue. Did everyone feel so wrong about saying them? If they did, Kovu had no idea why anyone would want to.
"I'm sorry if I got you mad." Kiara frowned.
"What?" Kovu glanced back at her in surprise.
"You sound angry." Kiara said hesitantly, cringing.
"You didn't do anything." Kovu glared at her crossly. "Even if you did, you don't need to say sorry, you know."
"I don't?" Kiara perked her ears up in alarm.
"Of course not. Not if you don't want to."
"It's common courtesy."
"It seems more like nonsense to me."
Tension sparked up between the two, like a fire that was just being born.
"You may not have been taught it, but I was." Kiara rose to her paws to glare at the dark male who stood in front of her.
"I was taught plenty." Kovu sneered, standing up to tower over her. "Your 'common courtesy' just seemed like an extra thing that my Mother hadn't found necessary."
"Why wouldn't she find it necessary?" Kiara demanded. "It's so important!"
"Maybe to you."
"To everyone!" Kiara shrieked, taking in a deep breath when Kovu didn't respond to that. He simply eyed her.
"What's happened to you, Kovu?" The princess asked weakly. "From what I knew of you, you were so kind, even if a bit cocky. You were almost..." She cut herself off and turned her head away, closing her eyes.
"What?" Kovu prompted quietly.
"Forget it." Kiara sat, gazing down at her paws sadly.
"What were you going to say?" Kovu's voice grew dangerous. "Tell me."
"PERFECT!" Kiara screamed, rising to her paws once more. "You were almost perfect." She quickly ran off down the grassy hill without another word, leaving Kovu to stand there and watch after her in confusion.
"Perfect..?" He breathed. What does she mean?
Kovu walked back to Pride Rock by himself, crickets chirping from all around him. He reached the rocky platform, only to find Simba (of all lions) walking over to him. Waiting for a loud, angry scolding for upsetting Simba's daughter, Kovu scraped his claws across the stone in a frustrated manner.
Simba finally reached him, and stared for a moment, his ruby red eyes blinking through the gloom. Kovu stared right back without blinking.
"It's..." The king finally spoke somewhat awkwardly. "...it's kinda cold tonight." He remarked.
"Yeah...?" Kovu tried, tilting his head to one side.
"Please," Simba gave a small smile, motioning his head towards the cave. "come on in." He turned around and began walking back.
Kovu watched after him in shock. He got to sleep inside now? With an odd shrug, he padded after Simba, trying hard not to let his black claws scrape against the rock like they usually did. Did Kiara go on to tell her father that she actually enjoyed her time with Kovu? He'd gotten her mad! Surely she would have told Simba, in which the king would grow angry himself and keep Kovu outside in the cold tonight. But no. Kiara obviously hadn't spoken about the little quarrel that went down on the hill that night. For that, Kovu would be stretching if he said he wasn't grateful. Kiara was sleeping near her parents though, her eyes already closed, as Kovu walked in.
"My apologies," Simba whispered, almost too quiet for Kovu to hear. "but the other lionesses didn't really want you sleeping near them. Find some place near the wall to lay down."
Kovu nodded silently, separating himself from the other male to stalk over to the wall, settling down next to it. He let his emerald gaze travel over the sleeping lionesses, Kiara in particular. Why would she do that? That very question still haunted his thoughts until he finally drifted off to sleep.
Morning came almost too quickly. Kovu's eyes flickered open to see a few figures of different lionesses rising to meet the dawn. Today was the day he'd slaughter Simba, and take over the Pride Lands as king...
"Kovu?"
He turned in alarm to see Kiara smiling at him weakly.
"I'm..sorry for last night." She said rather sadly.
"Don't say that word." Kovu growled, staggering to his paws. "I'd forgive you anyway." He smiled, though he was secretly smirking. "We have a big day ahead of us."
"We do?" Kiara pricked her ears.
"Yes." Kovu nodded solemnly. "I...I have a business to discuss with your father. Would you mind fetching him...please?"
Kiara looked delighted that he had said that last word, and she hurried off to find Simba who was already sat outside with Nala next to him. Kovu stalked after her, his head low.
"What does he want?" Simba's wary voice asked as Kovu approached.
"To talk some sort of business with you." Kiara explained happily. She hadn't noticed Kovu coming up from behind her, and said with a shy smile, "I think he's decided on staying here."
Oh, I'll be staying here, all right. Kovu came to her side and nodded.
"Hmm.." Simba eyed him suspiciously for a few heartbeats, but a gentle nudge from Nala seemed to change it. "...very well. I'll hear what you have to say." He glanced at Kovu hard. "I have a word to speak with him as well."
Kovu tilted his head in confusion at this while Kiara beamed at her father, and Simba smiled in turn. The king rose to his paws and came to stand in front of Kovu.
"Where shall we go?"
"I know a place." Kovu muttered.
Simba stared at him, ruby red eyes glinting. "Let's go then."
Kovu cleared his throat and padded past Nala and Kiara, his pelt brushing theirs for an instant. Simba trailed on beside him.
"Staying here.." He began with a fake grin once everyone on top of Pride Rock was out of earshot. "..would be the most amazing experience. Especially with that beautiful, gorgeous daughter of yours."
Simba rose an eye brow at him. That obviously wasn't the best thing to say.
"Er..." Kovu stared down at his paws. "..lovely place you've got here, as well."
"Kovu," Simba breathed. "do you wish to marry my daughter?"
Kovu froze in place. What? Where'd he get an idea like that?
But Simba went on, "She seems very fond of you."
"I've...noticed." Kovu shrugged. He hadn't, really.
"You have proven yourself to the pride," Simba said. "I wouldn't feel very uncomfortable with you and her together." He gazed at Kovu seriously. "I'd just like to know how you feel on the matter."
Kovu gulped. When he said Kiara was gorgeous, he wasn't all and entirely serious himself. Outsider lions were crude towards females. They'd call them beautiful without really meaning it, and often joke about. Simba seemed to believe him though.
"I'm..not all that sure." Kovu said with another nervous shrug. His leaf-green gaze traveled the passing dead trees. They were further into the outskirts, and this was getting awkward. Where was Zira and the pride? "I'll let you think on it if you wish." Simba said politely, more so than Kovu was used to. "It's Kiara I'm rather worried about." He chuckled. "She's a very patient lioness. The suspense might soon get to her, though."
Kovu tried to smile, but he was too caught up on the passing shadows within the greenish-brown fog that came into sight. Amber, green, red, and violet-blue eyes were poking through, and Simba came to a halt.
"Who's there?" The king called. "Show yourselves!"
Kovu grinned evilly. About time!
"Simba." Zira came prowling through the gloom, smirking triumphantly. "Welcome.."
"Zira." Simba bristled, his eyes narrowing. "You've crossed over the border." He growled accusingly.
"I led you over the border." Kovu whispered, padding out from beside the king to take his place in front of Zira, Vitani and Nuka. "Who's tresspassing now, Pridelander?"
"You!" Simba hissed.
"Now!" Zira snarled.
The Outlanders lunged forward, tackling Simba over before he could react. They were mauling him brutally, the only two still standing to watch was Zira and Kovu.
After a couple more heartbeats of ripping, Kovu stepped forward. "Enough!"
Every lioness drew back at his deathly tone. Vitani even glanced up in surprise, yanking Nuka backwards. She looked rather disappointed that the mauling had ended just as fast as it had started.
Simba was laying on his side, a gash on his shoulder spilling most of the blood. His left ear was ripped. Though he still staggered back up, glaring at Kovu angrily.
"You lied."
"No...really?" Kovu came to face directly at the king, the cold, still air causing his fur to stand on end. "Never turn your back on an Outsider," He whispered, nose to nose with Simba now. "remember? You had forgotten."
"We took you in." Simba growled. "You weren't an Outsider to us anymore. You were a Pridelander like the rest of us."
"Says the lion who kept me outside in the cold at night." Kovu sneered, circling the king. "You've got absolutely nothing to say for yourself."
"I wouldn't have done that if I'd have known how you'd grow on us." Simba said, staring up at Kovu with a somewhat pleading gaze. That didn't help his cause much though. It only made Kovu's grim satisfaction intensify. A king was pleading to him.
"It'd be pure trust if it had been from the start, wouldn't it?" Vitani piped up with a large grin.
Kovu ignored her. "I'm gonna make this slow and painful." He muttered under his breath, close enough to Simba's ripped ear.
Nuka sniffed. "Get on with it then, little termite."
Kovu, once again, ignored their voices. He was concentrating.
"I know you don't want to do this, Kovu." Simba murmured.
"That's where you're wrong." Kovu growled. With one swift movement, he had Simba pinned, his dark claws to the king's throat. Simba stared up at him in alarm. Kovu chuckled darkly; Simba never got to say goodbye to his family. How...unfortunate.
"Now, Kovu!" Zira exclaimed.
Kovu quickly slashed his claws across Simba's throat. The golden-brown furred lion gasped in breath, only to take another few bites to the face. He was already bleeding badly from the earlier mauling. Kovu savoured the taste of blood as he ran his tongue over his fangs that had slid out. Simba's mouth was gaped open, blood bubbling from the wound that had just been made. Zira's rough cackling of triumph came over Kovu in a wave. Had he done it?
Suddenly, with all he had left, Simba took the last action of reaching out to slash the dark lion across the face.
"Augh!" Kovu stumbled backwards off the dying lion, blood dripping from his eye. Through his now-blurry vision, he watched as Simba jolted and twitched a few more times, blood still streaming down his chest. Then he fell limp, his contracted eyes closing, too weak to carry on. He was dead.
Sorry for that probably over-use of blood at the end. I have this current obsession with Sweeney Todd, and the way the blood flowed out of all those victims' throats sorta..inspired me, I guess. Sorta wrong, too. O.o That's a pretty graphic movie, but I love it :3 I am going to make a Sweeney Todd fanfic soon, by the way. Maybe once this is done with, and I am left to work on that "New City Vanishings" story. I can work on two at the same time again. :D So anyway...hope you enjoyed this! Next one'll be up soon, hopefully.