The Lion King: Kovu and Kiara-New Beginnings

Nyiri Fever

The desert seemed to stretch for miles on end, growing hotter with each passing minute. The sun beat down on them with such great intensity that it felt like they were going to pass out at any given moment.

"Are we there yet?", Kiara couldn't help but ask. She knew the answer but the heat was making her very desperate.

Kovu rolled his eyes. "Obviously not", he said a bit irritated.

"Sorry, I just want to get out this sun, Kovu."

He sighed. "That makes two of us."

It seemed blatant to Kiara that the other path they had come across would've been much easier to walk.While she did trust Kovu, she couldn't help but think he might be slightly off track from their destination. She shook the feeling, trying to re-instill faith. 'No, he's got this,Kiara. Nobody said it was going to be easy. We're going to get there eventually.'

Kovu spotted an ironwood tree. "There's a tree over there, Kiara. Lets get some shade."

"Thank the great kings!",she exclaimed."Lets go!"

The tree didn't offer  much shade but it was way better than nothing. They scanned the Nyiri desert.It nothing more than a few sand dunes and a couple of dried out shrubs. The land was desolate and hot. Very hot.A small breeze blew past them but the air was warm and full of sand. Not much of a breeze really.

"Do you see that?",Kovu asked.

"See what?"

Kovu began running toward the wavy reflective illusion he saw. "It looks like water!"

"What?"

Kiara began racing to catch up with him. Kovu had reached the 'water' and  saw that there was nothing there but sand.

"It was just here..."

Kiara looked confused and then figured out what happened. " It was just a mirage ,Kovu".

"Yeah, duh. This heat is really screwing with my head."

"Tell me about it", she agreed and they started up again, walking the treacherous desert.

Soon hunger started to set in. Kiara was fantasizing about food. She wish she had eaten more of that zebra her mother caught the previous day ago. Kiara took a quick glance at Kovu and had to look again but, instead of seeing a lion she saw an antelope.

She continuing looking at him mystified. "What the..?

"Huh?"

When he spoke Kovu reappeared. Kiara shook her head at him. "Nothing." She had to get a grip of her self.

Kovu made small talk. " So I was thinking about Priderock. How exactly did that thing form anyway. I mean...."

Kiara was trying to listen and look at  Kovu, but everytime she saw him she saw food. She couldn't take the illusions anymore and her hunting instincts kicked in.

" Well that could've possibly happened and OUCH!"

Kovu looked at Kiara horrified. Her claws were digging into his back and her jaws were nearly enclosed around his neck."What are you doing!?"

Kiara realized her savage behavior and immediately came to terms with herself. "Um, nothing. What were you talking about? Priderock, um.... yeah, definitely."

Kovu lifted an eyebrow and squinted, a smirk spreading across his face. "Were you trying to eat me ?"

She looked at him like she'd been falsely accused. "Uh, Pfft no! Haha really...its not like you looked good enough to eat or anything."

He laughed a bit. " Yeah, lying isn't your strong suit ,princess. But, ya know what? I'm just going to take it as a compliment", he said, then licked her face.

Kovu could see straight through Kiara but, she couldn't even pretend to to be mad. He was just too charming. She gave in and licked him back and they continued on.

...Not for long. "Okay, Kovu, I'm getting hungry and there isn't a hippo or zebra in sight."

He agreed. " So what are we gonna do?"

Kiara looked around the sun-kissed beige desert. Her eyes perked up when she found a rock.Kovu followed her over to it. She flipped it over with her paw to reveal a collection of what seemed like alien mutated bugs.

Kovu shrieked. "Aahh! What in all of Africa is that?"

Kiara half smiled ,unsure. "Lunch, Bon appetit?"

He shook his head making his mane shake wildly. Kiara secretly thought he was kinda cute when he was flustered. "Uh-uh! Theres no way I'm eating that!"

"Oh c'mon, My dad said he did it with Timon and Pumbaa plenty of times! How bad can it be?"

"Okay first of all that sounded so wrong, and second of all I'd rather die than eat that."

Kiara gave Kovu a serious stare and sat down. Yeah, even he had to admit he was over exaggerating. "Just try it. Hakuna Matata. On the count of three okay?"

He nodded. "One..."

"Two..."

"Three!", They said together.

Kiara stomached down a slimy centipede while Kovu pretended to eat a beetle.

"Hey, no fair!"

He knew he was caught. "Okay, Okay! count to three."

"One ...two...three."

Kovu ate the beetle making a disgusted face with each reluctant chew. He swallowed and nodded his head, impressed. "Not too bad".

"I told you", Kiara said laughing.

The night travel seemed more bearable at night than in the day. The desert's iconic unrelenting heat practically vanished at night. It was surprising cool.

Kovu thought aloud, "If I knew it was going to be like this I would've suggested us to rest during the day so we can cover more ground at night,"

She nodded. "But I'm kind of exhausted."

He asked her if she wanted to rest. She denied. "No. we can travel a bit more. Besides the weather feels good."

"Okay".

That was one thing he admired about Kiara. She may whine here and there but she was determined.Yes, her and those enchanting amber eyes that seemed to shine in the moonlight, were filled with determination. They would have to perserve in order to make it. But so what if they made it to Kishamajingi? Would they be able to make it back home to the Pridelands?

These were the thoughts that spun through out Kovu's brain. "Kiara do you think we're going to make it home in time, ya know, after we find my parents and everything? I mean, this is already the closing of the second day and...".Kovu noticed Kiara wasn't responding back.

He turned his head gently and saw she was resting hers softly on his shoulder, but somehow kept managing to walk. 'Well ain't that something! Kiara's a sleep walker.'

Kovu looked for a tree to rest under. He didn't see any but did find a flat rock. It looked like it had been sit on by an elephant. He flopped down as a sleeping Kiara did the same on to him. "Omph!"

He pushed her gently to the side of him and began doozing off. His eyes opened when he felt Kiara nestle  herself under his forearm. It made her feel safe. His warm paw near her chest. She wanted to sleep like that every night.

"We're going to make it Kishamajingi ,Kovu.Then, after we find your parents, we're going to make it back home...on time. Just like you promised my father."

'Is Kiara sleep talking?', Kovu wondered. 'How did she hear me while she was sleeping?'. It didn't matter. She said exactly what he needed to hear.

"I love you", he softly whispered into her fuzzy ears, not knowing she heard him.

"I love you ,too, Kovu."