Shake it Off - [Kiara]

[Simba]

S I M B A

It was early evening, the light of the sun fading from the sky with each passing moment. The glowing orb could be seen sinking slowly beneath the horizon as it began to set until the following morning. The bright blue sky of the earlier day had been replaced with a combination of deep pink, purple and orange as the daylight hours began to disappear. The crescent moon was already visible in the darkening sky, ready to dominate the impending night with its own ominous glow. But for now, the sun still occupied the sky, spreading its remaining light across the landscape. The sunset was fleeting and would be over in a short time, but for now, it was possible to enjoy the unique combination of colors that painted the sky.

In the fleeting light, the Pridelands king moved across the savannah. His paws falling rhythmically on the dry earth beneath his feet with each step he took. His nostrils flared as he took in the hot, dry air, although no scent out of the ordinary caught his attention. Normally, the king would have made these rounds much earlier in the day, however, without the arrival of the season rains, spending any length of time beneath the rays of the sun proved to be unbearable. With the sun setting behind him, the temperature had dropped slightly from where it had been earlier that day. Though it seemed to be such an insignificant change, even a few degrees made all the difference to the creatures who survived here.

Simba's amber eyes scanned across the savannah as he walked, taking in the territory that surrounded him on all sides. The long grasses around him had transformed from lush vegetation to dry, brittle stalks as a result of the heat and lack of rainfall. The ground beneath his feet was cracked, having been scorched from the sun and the water completely evaporated from it. Even the watering hole that was usually full of liquid was beginning to disappear with each passing day.

The current weather conditions were a cause for alarm to the king of the Pridelands. With the vegetation drying out, it was only a matter of time before the herds moved on in search of food elsewhere, and no one would be able to survive here should the watering hole completely dry up. The Pridelands territory had always been known for being rich with plant life and animals of all kinds. Now however, the formerly lush landscape was beginning to look more like the Drylands with each passing day.

As the Simba surveyed the damages the territory was taking, he could not help but worry that the rains would never come. Over the years there had been droughts, but none had ever been quite like this. Should this weather continue, there was no doubt in the king's mind that he would have to move his pride. He did not know where he would take them, but there was no way they could survive under the conditions that were becoming more blatant each day. For now, Simba could only hope that the rains would come in time. They would move if they had to, but for now, Simba hated the thought of removing his pride from the place they had called home for generations.

[Kiara]

K I A R A

It was terrible. The days seemed to be growing hotter and hotter with each passing moment. Her throat was more parched than she could ever remember it being, and her pelt seemed to hang on her like a thick coat she wished she could strip away. She wasn't sure how much longer she was going to be able to take the heat, but there was the feeling that this terrible heat wave wasn't about to disappear all that quickly.

She padded along ever so slowly, these thoughts crowding and circling in her mind. The long stalks of grass tickled against her sides, her tail flicking back and forth as she moved with the silence of a hunter, as she had been taught so long ago by her mother. But such stealth did little good for the young lioness now, as well as the other hunters. Not only had this heat caused unending heat each and everyday, but with the lack of water it was slowly providing, animals were starting to leave in search of a better source of water and cooler temperatures. How would they survive if there was no food to hunt?

Sighing softly, Kiara's head dropped ever so slightly as she continued to make her way through the grasses of the savannah, the setting sun casting a gentle glow across the land and lighting up her pelt like a soft beacon. It was long until she came across her father's scent on the wind, though, and her head perked up just a little more. Her mother had told her to see if she could find her father, for they both knew that he had left hours ago and her mother had grown worried, but Kiara knew in her heart her father could handle himself. But she had left anyways, merely to calm her mother.

And so it was that she soon spotted her father's figure in the distance, and slowly a smile curled upon her face. The one thing she knew she could count on in this terrible drought was her family and her friends, her pride, for they were the living bond she still had to the land, and it was with their own hope that she could still believe the rains would come. But only time could tell for sure.

As a grin formed on her lips, Kiara lengthened her strides, gaining speed as she began to leap across the ground, anxious to reach her father now, wanting to join in his company. She had always found solace with her father, no matter the situation, for it seemed that even though she loved her mother deeply, her father had always been the one she was closer to in their family. He was the one she would normally go to with her troubles, and with everything that was happening now, well, she wouldn't rather talk with anyone else, even Kovu.

"Father!" She called before she slowed at his side. "Father." She gently rubbed her muzzle against his flank in a show of affection, ignoring the ever present heat that still remained upon both of them from the day. "Mother sent me to find you. She was worried when you had not yet returned." Kiara said softly, now matching his pace rather easily as she padded along beside him. Her gaze turned to the sky, her brow furrowing ever so slightly. "Is there any sign of the rains? Any at all?" She asked softly. She wanted the rains to return, and she knew that he did as well. It was the wish of all in the pride, but whether or not it would ever come true was a question with an answer yet to be found.

[Simba]

S I M B A

As Simba continued moving across the Pridelands, he felt the heat beginning to take a toll on him. Even at sunset, the dry air still felt just as hot as it had been earlier that day, providing little relief. Even as it was sinking beneath the horizon, the sun's harsh rays still beat down tirelessly on the dry earth. Simba could feel the heat absorbing into his golden pelt, raising his body temperature to an uncomfortable degree. But despite the heat, the king kept moving forward, maintaining the steady rhythm of his pace as he walked. Every so often, his salmon pink tongue would fall from his jaws in the feeble attempted to pant away some of the heat.

But his efforts to cool down were futile, for with each step he took, Simba could feel the sun beating down on his back. It was dangerous to spend any length of time in this weather, especially with the watering holes beginning to disappear with each passing day. The king would have preferred to head back toward Pride Rock, to wait out the day in the the shelter of the den. There, the temperature was slightly cooler than the air and the lions were shielded from the harmful rays of the sun. But Simba knew he could not stop now. Despite the heat, he had to keep moving forward in order to finish his routine patrol and scope out the damages the Pridelands had sustained from the weather. It was an arduous task, but he had to do it.

The soft thud of footsteps on the ground behind him caught the king's attention. He slowed his steps, turning his head in the direction of the sound. A young lioness bounded toward him with a smile spread across her face that Simba instantly recognized. At the sight of his daughter, a smile formed on his own lips. As she reached his side and rubbed her muzzle against him, it was as though the current state of the weather seemed to fade away for just a moment. "Kiara!" he greeted her, as nuzzled his head against her own. It was nice to have her there as he loved and cherished every moment spent in her company. He was thankful that out of everything that had happened, their relationship with each other had remained in tact, even becoming stronger than it had been before.

"I assumed she would be. I'm sorry for taking so long, it takes a little longer in this weather..." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her glance up at the sky and soon found himself doing the same. "I wish I could say there was, we definitely need it..." He said as a soft sigh escaped him. His gaze dropped back to the dry land that was spread before them, in desperate need of water to quench it. With each day that passed without rain, the dryer the land became. It was only a matter of time before the plant life would be dead and the herds and water gone. "What have you been up to today? Did you manage to stay cool?" He asked her. Though it was unusual, this was the first time that Simba had seen his daughter all day and he was more than grateful to have her in his company now.