Simba watched his pride from atop pride rock with his queen Nala laying calmly next to him. He yawned tiredly for he had gotten no sleep last night. His dreams had been haunted by the day when he had banished Zira into the shadow lands. The day Zira had murdered his son, Kopa. Nala looked up at Simba questionably but he just shook out his graying mane and looked back out at the lioness lounging about below. He still didn't see Kiara and Kovu. He saw Vitani, Kovu's sister, watching her brother's cub, Kisam. Kovu and Kiara had left to find Rafiki after they woke up. Kisam rolled in the dirt after trying to pounce on a loose rock. His dusty brown coat became coated in real dust and his golden eyes sparked. Simba smiled inwardly. He had yet to regret letting the outsiders back in since the day Kiara and Kovu had stopped a war that seemed unavoidable between the Pride Landers and Outsiders.
Kisam looked up at his aunt Vitani. Auntie look sad, he thought with childish simplicity, but Auntie always sad. Kisam looked to his left and saw three familiar figures approaching pride rock. A muscular darkly colored adult male lion walked in step with a yellow colored lioness rippling with muscles. And perched atop the lion was a baboon. The baboon carried a walking stick across his crossed legs. Kisam smiled when the lions smiled at him.
"Momma, Daddy," Kisam yelled running towards them and tripping. He looked up at them still smiling as Vitani helped him up, "Hello Rafiki."
"Hello, baby," Kiara said nuzzling her cub, "Vitani."
"Kiara, Kovu," Vitani said nodding to them before walking away. She didn't bother acknowledging the baboon. She didn't like him at all. He would always talk about what she considered nonsense. If Kopa was alive he would have returned to the Pride Lands by now. Plus, that stupid monkey never mentions him to Nala or Simba, she reminded herself while she laid down in the shade.
Simba walked away with Nala and Rafiki as Kovu and Kiara played with Kisam. Simba needed Rafiki's advice and Nala needed to know what was going on before she burst. They sat under a tree not far from Pride Rock getting comfortable. Simba opened his mouth to talk but Rafiki hit him with his stick.
"Ow," Simba yelled sitting up rubbing his head, he hadn't gotten the stick hit in years and it hurt, "What was that for?"
The baboon looked at him with a wicked grin but said nothing. He didn't have to because right then every animal in the pride land came racing through the area surrounding pride rock. They were fleeing something. But what? Simba thought as he and Nala avoided stampeding animal feet. Rafiki had perched on Simba's back as Simba and Nala jumped into a tree. The stampede ended nearly as fast as it had begun. Simba and Nala looked at each other then jumped from the tree and ran as fast as they could back to pride rock.
Simba and Nala saw the rest of their pride standing upon pride rock looking over the horizon. Simba sighed with relief when he saw Kisam in Kiara's mouth as she stood between Kovu and Vitani. Nala and Simba with Rafiki still on his back quickly climbed up pride rock to stand between their mothers and see what was so interesting. Then Simba saw it. What everyone was staring at was a column of smoke. The pride lands were on fire and that was what the animals were fleeing. Worst of all the fire was approaching pride rock…at a rapid pace. Simba was sucked into a state of shock with the rest of his pride. The lions just stared at the smoke approaching. It quickly became a reddish orange color as it came closer. Then Simba received a hit on the head from Rafiki, who was now perched on Kovu's back, as the fire broke into view. Rafiki pointed away from the fire a silent signal that they needed to move. Simba immediately realized that he was right. He spun around attracting the attention of his pride.
"Come on, We need to move," Simba yelled as he moved into a run with his pride hot on his heels. They raced down pride rock opposite of the fire then across the plains of the pride lands. Simba glanced back every once in awhile as they neared the edge of the pride lands and each time all he saw was a wall of fire as long as the eye could see in either direction. They would have to leave the pride lands to escape the fire Simba realized. He quickly realized that other lions, specifically those that had been outsiders, had come to the same conclusion. As they exited the pride lands there was a suffocating sadness that engulfed the pride of lions and their companions. Timon rode Pumbaa who ran between Simba and Kovu, Rafiki rode on Kovu, Zazu flew over head, Kiara ran beside Kovu with Kisam in her mouth, Nala ran alongside Simba, Vitani, Sarafina, and Sarabi ran directly behind them, and the rest of the lioness behind them. They were all tiring, everyone except the fire which was gaining on them, when Simba spotted a river. He quickly lead his pride across, fire did not get along with water because she liked to make things live and he liked to kill what she worked hard to bring to life. The river was wide but they made it across. The walked away from the river and into the shade of the trees that were a little bit away from the river. They lay under the trees to catch their breath when they all heard a sound. Quickly the lions got to their feet. Everyone knew the danger of the lands away from the pride lands. But they couldn't go back the fire was almost at the river. Quickly Simba lead his pride through the cluster of trees onto another plain where they could see a cluster of rocks just over the horizon. The pride headed towards the rock oblivious of their follower.
Simba and his pride kept their guard up as they entered the plain. They all knew how exposed they were out there and they were determined not to get caught off guard. They were on guard for large predators however and when the small white fluff ball came flying out of the grass they all jumped back growling and snarling. The small white ball snarled back…or at least it tried to. It sounded more like a broken squeaky toy. The lions of Simba's pride stared at the small creature. Kisam approached it bravely seeing as how it was the only thing he had ever met his size that didn't fly or belong in Timon's family. His family was too shocked to try and stop him.
"What are you," He questioned.
"What's it look like," The thing squeaked again, "I'm a brave lioness here to eat you."
"You're not a lioness," Kisam snickered, "you're too squeaky."
"Yes I am! Your ears are broken I don't squeak I roar! I am…" The small cub was cut off by a voice from behind her.
"In deep trouble," The voice was deep almost gravely. The Pride Landers stared open mouthed at the lion behind the small white cub. He had a yellow gold pelt and reddish mane…he looked exactly as Simba had when he was younger. Kiara's head shot back and forth between her father and this new lion. The small white cub turned her blue eyes upon this new lion and grinned cheekily.
"Hiya," her grin widened as more lions came out of the grass…at least until she saw a pale lion with a light brown mane and blue eyes then her face fell and she quickly turned around and started to shoot out stories as to why she was there, "…"
"Abebe," the pale lion looked down, "you're lying."
"Kopa," Nala found her voice before the rest of her pride and took a shy step forward, "Is it really you?"
"Do I know you," Kopa said raising an eyebrow as he looked at this strange pale lioness. The rest of the pride he was with looked at the Pride Landers. This new pride was odd. Simba counted three adult male lions and was large, even larger than Simba's. There was a male lion with a golden mane and a dark gold coat with brown eyes, the pale lion, and Kopa. His own pride had two adult male lions so that wasn't odd to Simba what was odd was that they all seemed roughly the same age. A black lioness with a grey underbelly and blue-green eyes stepped forward and picked the white cub up in her mouth before stepping back between the pale lion and another lioness. The other lioness had chocolate brown fur with a dusty brown underbelly. Her eyes stayed down cast.
"KOPA," Timon yelled as he ran towards the lion. Kopa startled took a step back into another lioness. She was colored in shades of red with green eyes.
"Aw, Kopa, you run to me when you're startled. Maybe we can…well not in front of the children," the lioness purred. At the sound of her voice Kopa side stepped to his left putting him right against the golden lion's side. They both looked sick. All the lions but the red one and the cub looked discussed with the red lioness actually. Vitani dragged her claws across the ground. She was beyond mad. Rafiki had been right, Kopa was a live but hadn't returned to the pride lands…to her, now here was some lioness making very inappropriate references to Kopa. She wanted to tear something…or someone…up.
"Hawa," the pale lion said with only a small amount of his disgust seeping out, "Go back to the rocks and make sure Usama and Daia are still home…stay there if they are."
"But," Hawa started to protest but swallowed, bowed, then left. Kopa eased away from the golden lion. The prides stood staring at each other for a minute. The black lioness had set Abebe down during the commotion on the other side of the pale lion and she had began to play silently with Kisam in the center. Timon stood just in front of the Pride Landers looking slightly hurt. Then the pale lion stepped forward.
"Who are you and what are you doing here," the lion asked looking directly into Simba's eyes.
"I'm Simba," He looked at Kopa but when Kopa didn't show any recognition of the name Simba continued slightly deflated, "Our lands were afire and we escaped across the river."
"He speaks the truth," A gruff voice said as an older lioness came up with a small group of lioness behind her from the side. She had graying yellowish fur, not quite as bright as Kiara or Simba's but none the less yellow and gold eyes. She had a small tag hanging from her right ear showing she had once been captured by humans, "They crossed the river…we were watching. They came from the same direction as Kopa was found."
"Najat, did you know that Abebe was…never mind. I don't want a lecture. Simba, you think you know Kopa," The pale lion asked emphasizing the 'think'. Simba nodded yes. The pale lion looked over to Kopa who shrugged, "I'd like to hear more if that's okay. Why don't you and your pride come with us?"
"Thank you," Simba said politely, "We'd appreciate that."
"I'm Gamba by the way," the pale lion said then proceeded to introduce the rest of his pride with him. The chocolate brown lioness was Dalal, Gamba's sister. Ghadah was the black lioness who picked up Abebe, she was his queen. Dabir was the golden lion and his brother. The rest were simply members of the pride. Simba did the same and then they followed Gamba and his pride towards the rocks in the middle of the plains.
As the lions approached the rock formation the Pride Landers noted that it was riddled with caves and crevices but no other living creature was in sight. During the walk to the rocks the lions had been bickering playfully, especially Gamba and Kopa, but when they got to the rocks the lions all fell silent and became tense as they began watching everything. Vintani was about to ask what was going on when an eerie noise. It sounded almost like a song and the Pride Landers paused to stop and listen. When they stopped they quickly got pushed by the other pride who whispered urgently that they needed to keep moving. The lions quickly entered a cave and began a quick descent down under the ground. As they went further beneath the earth a smell began to come up through the floor and progressively got worse. Then the slope changed and they began to go up. They emerged from the ground in front of a cave.
"What was that noise," Nala asked looking at their hosts, "And that smell?"
"The noise was those," Gamba said walking to the edge of a cliff and pointing down towards the plains. The Pride Landers came and looked over the cliff as well. Small hyena like animals circled in front of the rock formation they had entered but they didn't go in.
"That smell," Kopa said as he walked towards a stream and laid down, "is something they can't stand and so they don't follow us through the underground passages."
"There are a lot of underground passages," Abebe supplied as she stalked Kopa's tail with Kisam. Just then two cubs a little older than Kisam and Abebe emerged from the cave and stared at the strangers. One was a black lioness cub with a bluish tinted white under belly and a tuff of fur that fell over her right eye to just about the corner of her mouth and blue eyes. The other was a yellow so light he was nearly white with a black fur tuff that hung into his golden eyes.
"Who are they," The male cub asked rudely.
"If you would have come with me you two would know," Abebe purred at them as the female glared at her.
"Who are they," Kisam whispered to Abebe.
"My sister, Daia, and her best friend, Usama," Abebe whispered back as two more lions emerged from the cave. They were both just beginning to enter adult hood. One was a male with a dusty yellow coat and white main growing in and green eyes. The other was a lioness. She had a pale coat about the color of Nala's with a fur tuff that hung between her eyes prettily and golden eyes.
"Hey dad," the male said to Gamba. Kisam whispered to Abebe again who explained that the male was her older brother, Ghadhanfar, and that the girl was his girlfriend and Usama's big sister, Zenta. Gamba looked at his son levelly.
"So," Gamba said sitting down not far from Kopa, "These lions think they know Kopa. They're gonna tell us his story as they know it. But first how were the kids?"
"They behaved great," Ghadhanfar said settling down with the rest of the lions of both prides, "Abebe spent nearly the whole time sleeping peacefully."
"Really," Gamba questioned, "she didn't try wondering off or anything?"
"Nope she was in my sight the whole time," Ghadhanfar lied.
"Hmm…Then why did we find her on the plains," Gamba growled glaring at his son who opened and shut his mouth realizing he was in deep trouble, "I'll deal with you later. For now I want to hear this story of Kopa."
The two prides got comfortable. They were all laying or sitting with various distances between them forming a sort of circle. Even the cubs, sitting with their parents were quite and listening intently as Simba began the tale:
The Pride Landers were rejoicing. Scar was gone and King Simba and Queen Nala had just had a baby boy. Rafiki held up the baby lion to a crowd of cheers. The cub smiled and giggled. One lion however was not pleased with this new cub. Zira was her name. She had loved Scar. And Scar had picked her youngest cub, Kovu, to rule. Now not only was scar dead but Kovu would not rule. She was angry and glared from the shadows at this new lion…his name was Kopa.
As time wore on the cub grew. His best friend was Vintani a female lion cub. Zira's daughter. Zira watched with growing anger as Vintani so oblivious in her childhood innocence played and loved who Zira saw as the enemy. But Zira had a plan. She smiled wickedly at the thought. As her cub rolled across the ground with the prince. Her plan would work and she knew it…all she had to do was wait for the right time then she could attack. And that right time came quickly.
It was mid after noon. Vintani was fast asleep after a hard morning's play. Many of the other lionesses were asleep as well. Kopa woke up and after seeing his parents and friend still asleep went and sat on the tip of pride rock to wait patiently for them to wake up. Zira watched the cub leave the cave then waited a few before she too got up and left the cave.
"Kopa," Zira said lovingly as the child turned to her with trust, she was too focused on the cub so failed to see the baboon sitting in the shade of the cave watching the cub, "Are you busy?"
"Nuh-uh," Kopa said, "Just waiting for every one to wake up."
"Would you like me to show you something," Zira cooed appealing to the cub's curiosity, "I know a place you'll love."
"I don't know," Kopa pouted, "I should wait for Ma and Pa to wa-"
"Nonsense, we will go and be back before the even know you're gone," then she smiled soothingly, "And after Vitani wakes up it would make a good surprise for her."
"Well, if your sure," Kopa said bouncing to his feet to follow Zira. Rafiki glared after them. He moved as quickly as he could to wake Zazu. The hornbill could follow the lioness and cub much easier than he could. And he could wake Simba up.
Zira lead Kopa to a part of the plains that was thickly over grown oblivious to the over head eyes of Zazu. Kopa looked around then looked at Zira questioningly. She smiled but it wasn't like any he had ever seen before. It scared him. He took a shaky step back. From over head Zazu saw the lioness's muscles tense but before he could yell out a warning to the cub the lioness had lunged.
Zazu screeched out in alarm diving at Zira as she tore the defenseless cub with her claws. Kopa yelled in pain as his flesh was ripped open. Zazu nicked Zira's right ear then had to quickly dodge one of her clawed paws as she swung at him snarling. But soon her snarl wasn't the only one. The rest of the pride arrived and attacked. Zira fell back away from the limp body of the cub. Nala gasped and fell to his side whimpering. She nuzzled the cub but he failed to respond. She did the only thing she could. She sobbed.
Simba turned on Zira with blood in his eyes. But in a desperate attempt to preserve her life Zira acted on Simba's consciousness telling him he would orphan three young cubs if he killed her. He snarled viciously but she one. He couldn't orphan any cub. He sent Sarabi and Sarafina back for the cubs. Then he banished Zira to the outlands. She left and vowed revenge.
Both prides were silent as the all turned to look at Kopa. Gamba raised his eyebrow at his best friend questioningly. Kopa rolled his eyes at him for his unasked question.
"I've told you more times than I care to count, Gamba, I don't remember any thing but the repeating voice saying 'Kopa'," Kopa stated, "Then waking up with your ugly mug in my face."
"You see," Najat's raspy voice spoke up to the Pride Landers, "The former queen found him on a patrol. He was hurt and she brought him home. I did my best to heal him and here he is now. One more smart mouthed child I've watched after that never grows up."
"You don't remember anything at all," Nala asked Kopa after the rest of his new pride stopped laughing. Her voice was soft and sad.
"Sorry," Kopa said shaking his head. Then Rafiki was suddenly in front of him glaring. Then Rafiki hit him over the head. Kopa let out a yowl and jumped away, "What was that for?"
"Still remember nothing," Rafiki questioned.
"Yes I still remember nothing," Kopa growled.
"Well then, I'll just have to try again," Rafiki swung at Kopa's head again but this time Kopa saw it coming and jumped away glareing.
"I like the monkey," Najat laughed.
"I'm taking the stupid stick," Kopa mumbled dodging yet another blow. Kopa lunged and grabbed the stick jerking it away from Rafiki and walking away with it towards the cave as Rafiki yelled after him.
"It's getting late," Gamba told Simba, "You're welcome to stay the night and we will go see what the fire has done to your lands tomarrow."
"Thank you," Simba nodded sadly as he followed the other pride with his own into their den.
The next morning dawned with a brilliant sun over head. The sky was cloudless and it was the kind of day that made lions want to sleep and cubs play. The Pridelanders and their hosts had finished breakfast when Abebe and Kisam announced they were going to go chase the wild dogs out of the lion's lands.
"You can't," Daia said with a confidant tilt to her head and a all knowing look on her face, "If daddy and Uncles Dabir and Kopa can't then there is no way to little kids can."
"You're a kid too," Abebe growled and glared, "So you can't talk to me and Kisam like that!"
"We're older so we're smarter," Usama said with confidence.
"You're just an over confidant butt-face," Kisam said spreading his paws and puffing himself up.
"Hey," Kopa's roar broke in, "Knock it off. Stop fighting all of you. Usama and Daia leave them be and Abebe and Kisam you aren't going any where near the wild dogs."
"We should go look at your lands now," Gamba said to Simba, "Kisam and any of the rest of your pride can stay here till we know what the damage is. Najat will watch them."
"Why am I staying," The grumpy lioness growled, "If you think just because I spent my youth chasing you fools around means…"
"Ghadhanfar and Zenta need watched too," Gamba coaxed, "And I figured you'd enjoy showing them a few tricks to keep cubs home."
"Well when you put it that way…"
"I shall stay too," Rafiki spoke, "I am far too old to be running with the beasts."
In the end Simba, Gamba, Kopa, Vintani, Kiara, Kovu, and Dala went to look at the pride lands while the rest of the prides either stayed with Najat and Rafiki or went with Dabir and Ghadah on a hunt.
Once across the river it was obvious the Pridelands where once again badly burned by fire, but they would heal with time. The seven lions turned and began to walk towards the river after standing on Pride Rock and surveying the damage.
"Your Pride is welcome to stay with us until your lands heal," Gamba told Simba and Kovu who where walking next to him. Kiara was behind them jumping and asking Dala question after question as the other lioness stuttered out shy answers. This left Vintani in the back with Kopa. He kept his gaze ahead and though she tried she couldn't stop her glance from drifting up to him. She barely took note of Simba thanking Gamba and of crossing the river. She was at an inner war. Part of her wanted to shake and beat Kopa senseless for not remembering the other part wanted to hug him and tell him how glad she was that he was okay.
Suddenly every one stopped and Dala, Gamba, and Kopa's hackles began to rise. Kovu, Simba, Kiara, and Vintani followed suit. They heard the long heart wrenching howls and vicious snarling barks of the wild dogs coming their way.
"Run," The command was sharp as they all lurched into a mad dash towards the tunnels. Their paws hurt as they hit the hard rough ground. Dala and Kiara raced across a steep and deep crevice followed closely by Kovu then Simba and Gamba. Then suddenly Kopa stopped and grabbed Vintani by her scruff pulling her back to avoid the snapping jaws of the wild dogs. The dog ran head long into the log the other lions had used to cross plunging it and the dog into the crevice. The lions across stopped and turned to their friends worriedly.
"Go," Kopa yelled at them shouldering Vintani away from the crevice, "We'll use another tunnel and meet you the den."
Vintani barely heard the other lions yell for them to be careful as she ran with Kopa. She could hear the dogs and it sounded like they were getting closer. Kopa turned left leading her into a dark damp tunnel. The stone was rough and jagged cutting into their paw pads. Kopa quickly lead Vintani through the maze of tunnels . They had slowed down as the dog sounds faded with distance. Vintani was panting and her paws hurt. She glanced at Kopa who was in similar condition. Then they heard the sound of feet up a head and Vintani stiffened. Kopa glanced up and smiled a crooked smile as The other five lions came into view. Vintani relaxed upon seeing them. They were home free. As they walked over to their friends the unthinkable happened. The floor gave out and Kopa and Vintani let out shocked cries as they were plummeted down to the tunnel below the other lions called out their names.
Vintani saw Kopa's head bounce off the floor as he hit it and she landed on top of him. Her front paws were on his chest. After a moment of having his face scrunched up in pain he opened his eyes. The other five lions were above them calling out to them.
"Fine, I know where we are I can get us to the den," Kopa called out to their friends above and after a brief conversation he convinced them that they'd be okay and see them back at the den. He looked into Vintani's violet eyes and smiled, "Pinned me again Tani?"
"You remember," Vintani said wide eyed.
"Yes," He leaned up and licked her cheek gently, "I remember now."
After the Simba's pride returned to the Pride lands Kopa returned with them. Gamba's pride was sad to let him go and tears were shed but they were still happy for their friend. Hawa had vanished as was her way after Kopa had announced he would return with his birth family and new mate, Vintani. Kopa was still a member of Gamba's pride, as he had no desire to become king, so he would return to Gamba's lands frequently often bringing Kisam with him to play with Abebe. Kopa and Vintani did have a baby girl of their own named Nyota. She was as wild as a cub could be.
Abebe would try to sneak over to the pride lands when she had thought that her uncle and Kisam had been away too long. As she got older she was able to do so easily. She became a frequent guest at Pride Rock. And when they became adults and Kisam assumed the thrown she became his queen.
Simba joined the great kings of the past soon after returning home. The loss was mourned but the remaining prides still looked to him for guidance which Rafiki and Najat's pupils, Usama and Daia, were happy to help deliver to their families.