Path To Self Destruction (MLK Writing Contest Entry)

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Here is my entry for the past contest, I wanted to post it up in case anyone wanted to read it, offer some feedback, or whatever else. I forgot to post it for a while, but just remembered, so here it is ^^

The sun still hung over the evening sky, illuminating a distant area of it while the stars began to scatter around. Just enough time before dark for Zira, the plotting outsider lioness, and Kovu who had grown from his early days, by this point he was something of an apprentice to Zira, who had taught him many skills in hunting, fighting, and planning out an attack for best proficiency. Kovu’s brown fur had become slightly thicker, and he had much more of a figure on him as he was entering his teen lion years. And his voice had been starting to get noticeably deeper.

“Okay Kovu,” said Zira in her usual evil intent sounding voice. “We have just enough time to get a bit of practise in, you will need to utilise what you have been taught so far.” She continued to explain to the younger lion.

“I am in!”Kovu said, raising his tone and then smiling at her. Kovu loved hunting, and he was skilled at it, he would always take a chance to partake in any and all training opportunities. Although hunting was usually carried out by the lionesses in a pride, he seemed to have a natural talent for it. And Zira had taught him a lot of skills across previous training.

“Good, Kovu!” Zira was happy to see Kovu so willing to jump into situations. “Now then, let’s see here...” And she began scoping out the grasslands for a potential target for Kovu, who extend and retracted his claws, watching them slide in and out of the slits of his paws. Suddenly there was distant chatter audible. Zira turned her head to the left, and watched a group of three zebras make their way to the small pond which reflected the orange evening sky. “Down.” She said upon spotting them, and she and Kovu lowered their self to the ground. “There.” She said quietly to Kovu and looked in the direction of the pond.

“I see them.” Kovu said calmly and quietly, trying to control the volume of his voice.

“Bring one of them back, and you may eat well tonight.” Zira instructed Kovu. “And remember, patience. Wait until one of them is alone.” Zira knew that realistically, Kovu could only capture one of them, and it was more than enough to feed at least four of the lions back home anyway.

“I got it.” Kovu said to his mentor, and he crept slowly forward. Zira smiled as she watched Kovu head forwards to the far said of the pond. He kept his body close to the ground, and as he stepped forward slowly, the grass bended as he crushed the panes of it with his steps. He realised something and thought to himself “I can feel the ground shifting below under my paws, with each step I take it shifts, this must be what alerts them to my presence.”

He continued until he arrived at a patch of long grass, it was located behind the zebras who were sitting around taking sips of the water and enjoying the peaceful ambience, glancing up at the sky and then back down to the water. Kovu entered the patch of grass, taking care as he moved toward his targets so he would not be noticed, he carefully moved and scattered the panes of grass with his paw so they were not bending too much. He laid in wait and watched his victims.

He thought to himself, for a moment. As he watched the zebras, there was a male adult on the left, and on the right sat a female. Between the two of them, a zebra which seemed to be in his early teen years judging from his height, which was smaller than the two accompanying him. One thing Kovu had not thought about before is the concept of breaking up a family with each animal slain. Especially since he was in a family himself, Zira was his mother and his brother and sister who were back at home waiting for his return. “Woah. This is insane...” He thought to himself in his head as he stalked the animals.

He continued watching the zebras “Now son, mother and I are going to find you some food, you wait here and have a nice drink.” The adult male said to the younger one.

“Cool! Now I can prove to you that I can be trusted on my own!” The young male zebra replied to his father. He was excited; it seemed he wanted to show his parents that he was responsible. It reminded Kovu of his younger cub days.

“Ah, those were the days, messing around somewhere alone without permission, no rules, no responsibilities...” Kovu was thinking to himself while watching his prey. “And her!” And an image of Kiara once again returned to his mind, she was after all, the only friend he really had. He shook his head slightly, as if to try and shake the memory away from his thoughts.

“Come, dear.” And the male zebra walked off, Kovu listened to the steps grow louder as the zebra walked past, oblivious to the possibility that anything was hiding in the taller areas of grass. The female followed behind, just as Kovu was anticipating. He listened to their chatter and steps grow softer and quieter, but he could not make out what they were saying from where he was.

Kovu looked forward at the remaining young zebra, and glanced over at Zira in the distance who was watching the events unfold. “Now, do it!” she said under her breathe, to herself but as if speaking directly to her son.

The young zebra looked down at the water and lapped it up with his tongue. Kovu listened as the Zebra’s tongue splashed against the water. And he leapt forward from the grass, straight towards his prey. The only sound audible, was the slight rustle of the grass, and a quick whooshing sound as Kovu glided through the air ferociously.

Time seemed to go slow for Kovu for the next few moments, he extended his claws mid flight, and heard the sloshing sound again from the Zebra who was drinking water. The sloshing sound stopped suddenly, and some birds nearby flew away in horror.

With this a past event came flooding back into Kovu’s memory of his fatherly figure, Scar. Scar had not been Kovu’s biological father as Kovu was in his infant years but it was the closest thing to a real father that Kovu had, since his real father abandoned him pre birth. “Now son, you wait right here and daddy will be right back with food.” Scar said lovingly to a baby Kovu, Scar had never cared about anybody before, but he seemed to really have a deep connection with Kovu.

“You must learn to fend for yourself, because one day, you WILL be the king!” Scar said enthusiastically and with glee, as he stared at the new born Kovu. “Zira, watch him. I will be back” And Scar walked away from Kovu, this was the last time Kovu would see his loving adopter.

“Gah..” Kovu regained his composure, no longer in the dream land he was in; he looked down at the zebra. It lay completely motionless; Kovu had hit his prey critically, right across the neck.
He looked around, ensuring there were no witnesses to what he had done. Not spotting anything unusual, he quickly scooped up the dead zebra with his head, lifting it onto his back. And he made his way back to Zira.

The orange sun lit evening sky, had darkened almost completely now. The stars and the half moon illuminated the area majestically, and they looked beautiful, the pond water had majestically reflected the night sky. Kovu sat on top of the hill he and Zira had began the hunt on, and looked down at the water in the distance. They watched as the two zebras returned, they were not toally visible, especially in the time of night, but they were clearly in panic, cries of help could be heard echoing around the area.

“Come, we need to be out of here.” Zira said sharply to Kovu, and took the zebra from her son’s back, opting to carry it for the rest of the way home, which was not far from here.
As they walked back, Zira looked at Kovu, who seemed to be silent; he was usually loud after a mission and full of adrenaline. “What happened?” She asked him.

“They were a family.” Kovu said in a melancholy response.

“Listen to me Kovu, you can’t let that stop you from achieving our ultimate goal.” She tried to reassure him, as if what he had done was somehow right “This was his destiny, and you know yours...” she pause for a second “Don’t you?!” She continued.

Kovu thought for a second, Zira was right, in his mind. He cannot let these things get to him, not if he wants to take down Simba and become king. “I do.” He answered back to his mother, somewhat argumentatively. “I will kill Simba, and I WILL become king!” his voice echoed that of Scar’s.

“Good!” Zira said, in an evil and cunning tone of voice that she always used. And the two of them, mother and son, continued the walk back to their home.