-*=~Dawn~=*-
The sky was blood red and the sun itself took up over half of the sky.
The birds in the sky swooping in formation around a huge formation of
rocks in the middle of the savannah. In the plains, all animals could
be heard massing around the huge monument. Its name… Pride Rock.
All animals walked up to Pride Rock in-groups of species. Scattered
around it. All looking up at the tip of the K shaped rock. On the top,
stood four lions.
The furthest right of the lions was a pale tan coloured lioness. Her
sapphire eyes sparkling in the sunset light. Her eyes were scanning
all the animals in the crowd around their home. Then her eyes flicked
towards the Lion on her left. The, presumed older of the group, who has
a bushy Red-Brown mane and golden red eyes which went well with his
golden fur. He stood the tallest of the four and looked like a figure
to expected Respect.
Next in line was another Lion. He stood out more in the group because
of his darker, more natural fur. His mane was a darker brown, close to
black. His eyes, a flawless Emerald colour, were fixed on his mate to
the left of him.
That female to the left of the darker lion was a lioness. She has a
brighter golden colour than the first male. Her eyes were similar too.
The Golden red eyes fixed on the lion next to her. She rested her head
on his shoulder and closed her eyes, smiling.
C R A C K
All the animals were taken by surprise as the tip of Pride Rock
crumbled. The four lions on the tip, wide eyed, began to fall without a
noise onto the hard rocks below of the K shape.
The Youngest of the Lionesses, the golden red eyed one, managed to
whispered in the Darker furred Lion’s ear
‘I Love you Kovu’ Before they all his the ground with a thud…
-*=~=*-*=~=*-*=~=*-
Kiara woke with a start. She was covered with sweat and was panting,
out of control. “What was that?” she said to herself quietly.
She felt movement next to her and looked and saw her mate, Kovu,
stirring. Not being fully awake, he could not hear her.
She licked his ear then trod carefully out of the cave and onto the
slope of pride rock.
It was morning. And to be exact, two days after the prides had united.
A gush of wind met her as she began to walk down the slope of Pride
Rock, towards the water hole.
She welcomed the open spaces without knowing it. For two nights the
pride had been compact into the one cave. There was now little room too
move around, but Kiara didn’t mind.
She approached the water hole slowly, not realising how tired she was.
She drank peacefully but jumped when she heard a voice.
‘Kiara?’ a soft voice said behind her. She turned and saw Vitani
walking towards her.
Vitani’s going-gold fur represented how much sunlight her body saw. She
had lived in the Outlands for most of her life, and her fur was
naturally a pale yellow. But over the last two days her body had been
exposed to light a lot more. Her sky-blue eyes looking into Kiara’s
Golden-Red ones.
‘Kiara?’ she repeated, still getting no answer. ‘Are you all right?’
Kiara snapped back to reality and smiled ‘I’m OK… Just a bit sleepy’
‘Didn’t get much sleep eh?’ Vitani said before lowering her head into
the water hole for a refreshing drink. She swallowed her water then
turned back to Kiara, smiling ‘Thanks for letting us stay at Pride
Rock.’
‘Hey, no bother. We would hardly let you sleep outside’ Kiara said
smiling.
‘I’m going back to see who is awake.’ Vitani said after a few minutes
of silence. ‘See you later’
‘Bye’ Kiara said. Once Vitani had gone up the slope to Pride Rock,
Kiara began thinking of what she said
‘We would hardly let you sleep outside’ she repeated. Then into her
memory came a flashback of Kovu sleeping outside under the big rock
because of her father’s doubts. Then, he didn’t understand… But
now… ‘Ooh! My head hurts from thinking this hard at this time’ Kiara
moaned as she lay down on the floor under the golden barked tree next
to the water hole.
‘And so it should’ said a voice from above her. Kiara looked up and saw
Rafiki standing on a branch looking down at her. ‘Mufasa and I have
been observing your mood. You seem upset Princess Kiara’
‘I’m not!’ Kiara said emotionlessly. Surprising herself along with
Rafiki,
‘OK. Well, if you want to talk, you know where my tree is’ Rafiki said
exiting the conversation
‘OK… Thanks’
But Rafiki didn’t answer, he just swung up into the higher part of the
trees and vanished
‘What’s wrong with me?’ Kiara asked herself. ‘Why don’t I feel happy?
I’m with my mate and we are one with the outsiders.’ Kiara repeated
this question to herself as she walked back up the slope towards the
den.
When she reached the entrance of the den, Kovu came out and nuzzled her
affectionately
‘Morning’ he said after he licked her nose.
Kiara just nodded, not saying much
‘Are you OK Kiara?’ a different voice said. Nala, her mother, walked
out the cave. Her sapphire eyes still dull in the morning light.
‘I’m…I-I’ she whispered ‘I don’t know’
‘Come…’ Kovu whispered in her ear ‘You can tell me’
Kiara looked up sadly at her mate and shook her head. With great
effort, she said; ‘I’m sorry Kovu… I’ve got to work this out for
myself’ and at that she walked into the den.
Once she entered the cave, Kiara lay down next to the hole she had made
less than four days ago and closed her eyes and closed her mind.
‘What’s happening to me?’ she silently said in her mind. ‘Why aren’t I
acting normal?’
The answer instantly prodded her mind. The dream… What did it mean?
‘Are we going to die?’ Kiara whispered to herself. ‘I don’t mind
dying… As long as I don’t bring Kovu with me… or any of my family
and friends’
Kiara slipped back into reality and walked outside. She realised that
there was a meeting going on. The Lions and Lionesses were talking
frantically that Kiara could barely pick up a word they were saying.
She walked into the circle of Lions and asked Simba, who was in the
middle of the group, ‘What’s happening daddy?’
‘Trouble in the Outlands.’ He said simply ‘The Hyenas have returned’