Welp, when you give your ̶i̶n̶s̶a̶t̶i̶a̶b̶l̶e̶ ̶d̶e̶s̶i̶r̶e̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶n̶e̶x̶t̶ ̶g̶e̶n̶ inspiration an inch, it takes a mile.
 
 
Not long after I posted that doodle dump with Zecora and the Twins, Rock-Mint-Swirl commented and asked me if I had any plans to make a babbu for Zecora. Originally, the thought never crossed my mind since I don’t ship her with anyone. Did that stop me from creating a babbu?  
No.  
No, it did not.
 
 
Meet Kiara ̶w̶h̶o̶’̶s̶ ̶c̶h̶a̶r̶a̶c̶t̶e̶r̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶d̶e̶f̶i̶a̶n̶t̶l̶y̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶at-a̶l̶l̶ ̶i̶n̶s̶p̶i̶r̶e̶d̶ ̶b̶y̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶K̶i̶a̶r̶a̶ ̶f̶r̶o̶m̶ ̶L̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶K̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶2̶,̶ ̶o̶n̶e̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶m̶y̶ ̶a̶l̶l̶ ̶t̶i̶m̶e̶ ̶f̶a̶v̶o̶r̶i̶t̶e̶ ̶D̶i̶s̶n̶e̶y̶ ̶F̶i̶l̶m̶s. She’s 100% Zebra and 100% not Zecora’s offspring. Rather, she’s from the same tribe that Zecora originated from and lived with before moving to the everfree. Years have passed since Zecora first left home and relocated to the dark and damp forest and she has long since resigned herself to the fact that she would never see another one of her kind again. This was true for those many years, of which the vast majority of the time was spent alone, save for the occasional visitor bursting in uninvited into her hut with a problem they expected her to fix. That all changed when this little 10-year-old bundle of dreadlocks appeared to the Zebra out-of-the-blue one night.  
Zecora instantly recognized Kiara and was completely taken aback at the sight of the filly from her past. Kiara, on the other hoof, was delighted to finally have found her idol and stomping her little hoof determinedly, declared her intention to stay with Zecora and follow in the great mare’s hoofsteps. It didn’t matter what she threatened or did, Kiara indignantly refused and refuted all of Zecora’s attempts to persuade her to return to her tribe.  
Eventually, the filly’s persistence paid off and Zecora finally gave in to her wishes while simultaneously warning her of the costs of becoming her apprentice and learning her ways. Kiara, disregarding Zecora’s concerns, eagerly accepted and was more than happy to remain with her mentor in her exciting and exotic home. As for Zecora, taking on the filly was a responsibility she didn’t ask for, but despite all the headaches and hours of labor that would come from raising her, she was pleasantly surprised to find that Kiara replaced the feeling of loneliness she didn’t realize she had before.
 
 
General Bio:  
Kiara may be just a little skinny squirt, but she’s got a fiery spirit that’s twice her size. Due to her determined and wild-hearted nature, Kiara constantly seeks out new adventures regardless of how dangerous or risky they may be. Kiara is also overconfident to her core and she likes to act as if she’s capable of doing anything she puts her mind to, not to mention that there’s not a thing in the world that could ever scare her. To top it all off, Kiara’s got a stubborn streak a mile wide and she’s not afraid to butt heads with anypony, be it with her mentor or one of the local cockatrices. Although she masks her impulsive dives into danger as being feats of bravery, in reality, she’s just excessively curious and determined to get her answers anyway she can, regardless of her better judgment. Along with her tendency to naively leap before she looks, it’s no surprise that she gets into trouble every time Zecora turns her back. But despite being an outspoken, headstrong filly, most of her tough talk is really just that, talk. Kiara is such a transparent filly that it’s plain to see that she really is just a child at heart- always full of laughter and ability to make even the most boring situations fun. Deep down, Kiara is also genuinely kind, caring, and fiercely loyal to her loved ones, often willing to go to the ends of Equestria for them. And even though her teasing can sometimes carry too far, Kiara is only being her playful self and really means no harm.
 
Relationships:
 
Zecora:  
Kiara is fiercely devoted and enamored by Zecora, which she proved just by leaving her only home to be with her. As an even younger filly, she loved watching the mare brew her potions and work her strange magic, which inspired the curious foal to want to try her hoof at it. Zecora herself found Kiara to be a rather adept student, eager to learn and quick at it too. However, despite being a better listener than Zecora’s other apprentice, Pinetree, Kiara would deliberately disobey instructions in order to do things her own way. This always landed her in a heap of trouble and forced Zecora to have to keep her under strict supervision- something which the independent Kiara loathed. However, despite her immaturity causing problems for her mentor, Kiara deep down just really wants to impress Zecora with her skills and strives to make her proud. What she doesn’t know is that Zecora is already proud of her, and knows that with persistent patience and time, Kiara will indeed grow into a proficient herbalist.
 

 
Fun facts:  

 

 
(Note) I plan to update this bio later down the road and make it more official in the KOPverse.