Kovu^Òs Courage


            ^ÓRARRR!^Ô Kovu rapidly pounced on his pesky sister.
^ÓKovu!^Ô she whined. Then she slyly turned and pounced on him back.
^ÓStop it, you two!^Ô a voice said. The silly brother and sister saw their 
older brother, Nuka, coming towards them.
^ÓOh, come on, give us a break!^Ô Kovu said to their querulous brother.
^ÓBut Mother^Òs coming!^Ô Nuka said.
The cubs stopped playing and sat up straight.
^ÓAh, hello, my sweet little children.^Ô Their mother said as she arrived.
^ÓNow, today our lesson is, ^ÑHow Simba has Wronged Us, and How he Wronged 
Scar^Ò^Å.^Ô

As the years past, Zira taught her children how to despise her hero^Òs 
nephew. Kovu, Vitani and Nuka were taught how to be evil, how and why they 
should kill or hurt anyone who is on Simba^Òs side. Their vindictive mother 
had a goal that she would not give up until Simba was eventually killed.

After the fire incident, as Kovu talked to Kiara, the lioness he had been 
taught to hate, he saw something in her eyes that he^Òd never seen in another 
lioness^Òs eyes. Her eyes^Åwere so beautiful^Å. And her beautiful golden 
fur^Åand elegant way of walking^Å.was very mesmerizing^ÅHe didn^Òt understand 
what was going on in his mind, but he decided to try to ignore it.

When he returned home one evening he had a lot on his mind. His mother came 
up to him, not happy.
^ÓWhat took you so long?!^Ô
^ÓUm^Åer^ÅI didn^Òt see Simba today.^Ô
^ÓWhat do you mean?! You were at Pride Rock all day! You had to have seen 
him!^Ô
^ÓI didn^Òt see him, okay?!^Ô
^ÓYou^Òre a liar!^Ô
^ÓWell, Mom, I was thinking about something^Å.^Ô
^ÓYes?^Ô
^ÓDo we^Å..have to kill Simba?^Ô
^ÓYou^Òre joking!^Ô his mother said.
^ÓNo^ÅI mean, he^Òs Kiara^Òs father^Å^Ô
^ÓWhat does that matter?^Ô
^ÓMom, you don^Òt understand^Å^Ô
^ÓWhat is there to understand? You have a duty. Your job is to kill Simba and 
become King. There is no question. That is what you have to do.^Ô
^ÓBut^Åhe^Òs Kiara^Òs father^Å^Ô
^ÓWhat does that matter, Kovu?^Ô she asked. Her tone gave an allusion that she 
was getting angry.
^ÓI love Kiara, Mother!^Ô
^ÓYou love her? What is that about? Are you mad?^Ô
^ÓNo, I^Òm thinking perfectly straight.^Ô
^ÓYou can^Òt love her! She^Òs on Simba^Òs side!^Ô
Kovu didn^Òt want to take any more pain from his mother at this point. He 
stormed away.

The next day Kovu spent the day with Kiara. Kovu didn^Òt speak a word. Kiara 
looked at Kovu lovingly.
^ÓKovu, dear^Å.what^Òs wrong?^Ô
Kovu remained reticent.
^ÓCan^Òt you tell me?^Ô
^ÓIt^Òs just some problems I^Òm having with my mother. I^Òll be all right.^Ô He 
said, and went home.


A few weeks passed.
^ÓI know love will find a way.^Ô They thought to themselves, nuzzling. They^Òd 
realized that they loved each other and that no one was going to stand in 
their way.
^ÓLet^Òs run off together!^Ô Kovu said. ^ÓWe^Òll start a pride all our own.^Ô
Kiara told him sadly that they had to go back.
Kovu disagreed.
Kiara explained that they must be strong and go back home to face their 
families and bring the prides together, not let them be torn apart.
Usually, to Kovu, courage was an obscurity. He^Òd not done many brave things 
unless his mother or other family was there to force him to. He knew that 
his love for Kiara would have to be the thing that would convince him to be 
brave this time. ^ÓAll right.^Ô He said to her. ^ÓLet^Òs go back.^Ô

And so^Åthey did. They returned home to face their families and reunite the 
feuding prides, to remind them that ^ÓWe Are One.^Ô