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She didn't know how long she was out there, bawling her eyes out like an infant, letting the coldness of night soak into her fur, and gasping for breath. The crescent moon had risen overhead, casting a soft glow onto her regretful, sorrowful form. Finally, after exhausting herself of tears, perhaps due to softening emotions or dehydration, she had finally calmed down enough, sniffing as she rubbed her face clear of the stinging tears, now uncomfortably drying and clinging to her face.

She was now left in the field all to her lonesome. Overwhelmed and driven by her emotions earlier, she truly had no idea of how far or long she ran, all that she could sense nothing or no-one around her, just seas of grass. With only the dim glow from the moon and the soft, cold wind as companions. Now that her emotions had died down and she had shed as many tears as she could, she was now left with her guilty thoughts and her conscience. No matter how much it was hurting, how she was hurting, and how much the others must be hurting, she needed to amend this. This was her fault and she needed to take responsibility for it.

Though she didn't want to.

Not out of spite or selfishness, but fear.

Fear of losing her position as Guard leader. Fear that she would prove her peers' doubts about her taking on this responsibility true. Fears that she had instilled the fears the pride had towards her following a path similar to her predecessor. Fear that she had already lost everyone's trust and support, including her own family. Fear that she had destroyed everything before even being able to show for it.

Perhaps it was selfish after all. Here she was listing all the things that she was afraid of when she returned. And for what? A reason to stay away? To run away and never return?

The echo of her brother's screams flashed in her mind and she shut her eyes tightly for a moment, squeezing out extra fluid.

No. No, she couldn't be so cruel to shirk her responsibility like that. Kion was her brother. She had never planned on hurting him, yet she did. Despite of what had been said, despite of what he may think of her, how they didn't always get along, or how bad what he did to her way, Kiara did love her brother. She cared for him and hated that she allowed herself to get angry and hurt him.

As scary as the thought of having to confront her actions and apologize to him would be, as well as his reaction, she had to do it. Kion would do it for her if the roles had been reversed, and she did owe him that at least.

...She exhaled heavily, sniffing and bringing up a paw to rub her teary face again.

Her thoughts wandered to the notion of whether going back now or spending the night here would be better. On one paw the idea of a warm cave surrounded by disappointed, angry, and sad pride members and parents, and the other, perhaps a bit martyr-ish, spending the night here alone, in the cold, but avoiding the conflict until morning. She didn't want to suffer through the night and put off taking accountability for her actions, but also didn't want to have to deal with any of this.

Additionally, she wasn't entirely sure where she was at the moment.

The heavy brush of grass against something broke her out of her thoughts. Something that offset the night wind, a brush of something solid against the surrounding foliage. Her vision was partially blurred from her crying and her senses were dulled due to emotional exhaustion, so her perception of what was around her was uncertain.

"H-hello," she called out, her voice a bit deep due to crying. "Is someone there?"

For a moment, nothing responded.

The next, she got her answer.

Don't really do night scenes that often, so this was an interesting practice. I think I've gotten good at drawing characters' nigh-time palettes without it looking like I just dunked them in blue dye and washed some of it off. Also I tried lighting and doing the moon, which I have rarely done before, and I think it turned out well.

Kiara © The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride/The Lion Guard © Walt Disney Animation Studios
Story, Art © Vtoony

Description
Previous || Next

She didn't know how long she was out there, bawling her eyes out like an infant, letting the coldness of night soak into her fur, and gasping for breath. The crescent moon had risen overhead, casting a soft glow onto her regretful, sorrowful form. Finally, after exhausting herself of tears, perhaps due to softening emotions or dehydration, she had finally calmed down enough, sniffing as she rubbed her face clear of the stinging tears, now uncomfortably drying and clinging to her face.

She was now left in the field all to her lonesome. Overwhelmed and driven by her emotions earlier, she truly had no idea of how far or long she ran, all that she could sense nothing or no-one around her, just seas of grass. With only the dim glow from the moon and the soft, cold wind as companions. Now that her emotions had died down and she had shed as many tears as she could, she was now left with her guilty thoughts and her conscience. No matter how much it was hurting, how she was hurting, and how much the others must be hurting, she needed to amend this. This was her fault and she needed to take responsibility for it.

Though she didn't want to.

Not out of spite or selfishness, but fear.

Fear of losing her position as Guard leader. Fear that she would prove her peers' doubts about her taking on this responsibility true. Fears that she had instilled the fears the pride had towards her following a path similar to her predecessor. Fear that she had already lost everyone's trust and support, including her own family. Fear that she had destroyed everything before even being able to show for it.

Perhaps it was selfish after all. Here she was listing all the things that she was afraid of when she returned. And for what? A reason to stay away? To run away and never return?

The echo of her brother's screams flashed in her mind and she shut her eyes tightly for a moment, squeezing out extra fluid.

No. No, she couldn't be so cruel to shirk her responsibility like that. Kion was her brother. She had never planned on hurting him, yet she did. Despite of what had been said, despite of what he may think of her, how they didn't always get along, or how bad what he did to her way, Kiara did love her brother. She cared for him and hated that she allowed herself to get angry and hurt him.

As scary as the thought of having to confront her actions and apologize to him would be, as well as his reaction, she had to do it. Kion would do it for her if the roles had been reversed, and she did owe him that at least.

...She exhaled heavily, sniffing and bringing up a paw to rub her teary face again.

Her thoughts wandered to the notion of whether going back now or spending the night here would be better. On one paw the idea of a warm cave surrounded by disappointed, angry, and sad pride members and parents, and the other, perhaps a bit martyr-ish, spending the night here alone, in the cold, but avoiding the conflict until morning. She didn't want to suffer through the night and put off taking accountability for her actions, but also didn't want to have to deal with any of this.

Additionally, she wasn't entirely sure where she was at the moment.

The heavy brush of grass against something broke her out of her thoughts. Something that offset the night wind, a brush of something solid against the surrounding foliage. Her vision was partially blurred from her crying and her senses were dulled due to emotional exhaustion, so her perception of what was around her was uncertain.

"H-hello," she called out, her voice a bit deep due to crying. "Is someone there?"

For a moment, nothing responded.

The next, she got her answer.

Don't really do night scenes that often, so this was an interesting practice. I think I've gotten good at drawing characters' nigh-time palettes without it looking like I just dunked them in blue dye and washed some of it off. Also I tried lighting and doing the moon, which I have rarely done before, and I think it turned out well.

Kiara © The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride/The Lion Guard © Walt Disney Animation Studios
Story, Art © Vtoony