The Lion King IV:
The Rogue Pride
Chapter 14
Luckily for Mheetu and Madoa, the geysers weren't continuous streams and so the initial fire attack ceased fairly quickly. Unfortunately, their opponent was well protected from their attacks in his armor of bones. Madoa leapt on top of the armored lion and clawed between the ribs of his armor, inflicting superficial but painful cuts. The lion jerked himself violently to dislodge the female while Mheetu lunged for their enemy's neck. The silver maned lion lowered his head and blocked Mheetu's attack with his skull helmet.
The warriors of Simba's Pride had trained all their lives, much longer than Adui's minions but the fanatical lions had learned the skills they needed to compensate, utilizing the terrain and fashioning crude forms of protection similar to the armor used by Mheetu and Madoa's opponent. Lionesses and lions tore at one another, neither side making any headway.
Boga chased a lion around a corner and Nala quickly grasped the younger female by the scruff of her neck, stopping Boga before she ran head first into a pit filled with vertical spikes of elephant ribs.
"Pay attention," Nala scolded.
"Yes Your Highness," Boga said sheepishly.
Nearby, Rafiki twirled and sprang with the same nimbleness he once used in the final battle with the hyenas, stinging several opponents with his staff. He grabbed one of his gourds and cracked it into the face of one adversary, blinding the villain with the gourd's sticky juice.
"Ack," the monkey gasped as one lion narrowly missed disemboweling him. He leapt away from his opponents and took momentary refuge up on a rocky ledge. "Rafiki, you are getting too old for this," he sighed.
Simba and Adui struggled violently, clawing and biting as they wrestled over several piles of bones. Adui was stronger but the king moved with greater precision, landing more strikes. Still, Adui's fury made the few hits he landed more powerful. Adui was consumed by his last memory of Zira…
Adui watched as his pregnant mate rubbed herself affectionately against Scar's side, standing with him on the promontory of Pride Rock.
"Zira!" Adui cried as the hyenas advanced on him. "Zira, help me!"
Scar smiled sadistically as Adui was driven back from the kopje.
"Dad, don't go!" a dark furred cub called to Adui, trying to get around the throng of hyenas.
"Nuka," Zira snarled, "you will stand beside your king!"
Scar regarded the lanky cub with disdain. He would require a more fitting heir. Perhaps the cub his new bride carried – that child would serve until he could sire his true successor.
"Nuka!" Adui wept…
Adui choked back a sob at the memory and dealt Scar's nephew a particularly jarring clout to the side of his face, knocking Simba against a wall where Adui quickly pinned him.
"You look at me," Adui growled. "I want my face to be the last thing you see."
Simba glared at Adui.
"Beg for your life," Adui chuckled.
"Never," Simba hissed.
"Oh, but your terror would make this moment all the more precious."
Simba narrowed his eyes.
Adui sighed. "Very well, then."
Legs burning with each coil and leap, Kopa flew through the grass, the border of the Elephant Graveyard rushing towards him. He could hear the pained roars of battle up ahead. He skidded to a stop near the edge of the cliff that dropped down into the yawning bone-littered pit, pebbles knocked loose by his claws. He reared his head up and roared from his core, his war cry drowning out all noise and startling every lion and lioness in the graveyard.
Adui glanced over his shoulder at the youthful warrior in the distance. Taking advantage of Adui's distraction, Simba shoved his opponent away.
Kopa leapt over the edge of the precipice and ran down the slope, using gravity to give himself an extra burst of speed. He barreled off the last step of the steep incline and rushed through the geyser invested trails of the graveyard, passing several lionesses caught in the heat of battle. Just seeing his spirited arrival inspired the females to fight with new vigor.
Up ahead, Kopa saw Mheetu and Madoa in dire straits. A bone-armored lion had knocked the dark female against a boulder hard enough to render her dazed. The villain then turned his full attention on Mheetu, pressing the white lion back until he was cornered up against a wall of stone. Mheetu struck out, his claws landing uselessly on the bone armor. The vicious opponent chuckled and pressed Mheetu up against the wall with his claws, inches away from dealing Mheetu a fatal bite to the jugular.
Kopa curved his path at the wall as he ran along it, shooting up to the ledge above where he performed a backflip and fell on Mheetu's attacker hind legs first. He drove the silver maned lion to the ground, knocking the helmet free so that he could strike the villain's exposed scalp with his elbow.
Mheetu sank against the wall with a relieved sigh as Kopa stepped away from the unconscious enemy. "Chaka?" he laughed. "When did you get here?"
"Where's Vitani?" Kopa demanded.
Mheetu frowned. "I'm fine, thanks for asking," he grunted.
"Mheetu!" Kopa insisted.
"Last time I saw her, she was down that way." Mheetu gestured off towards the center of the graveyard. "You're dad was down there too."
"Take care," Kopa said, rushing off in the direction Mheetu indicated.
Mheetu hurried over to Madoa as she stood up shakily.
"Are you all right?" Mheetu asked.
"I'm fine," Madoa said, smiling teasingly. "Concerned for my wellbeing, are we?"
Mheetu felt his cheeks warm beneath his fur. "Well, that is…"
Madoa gave Mheetu a lick on the cheek.
The white lion smiled charmingly. "Milady," he intoned, graciously bowing his head.
Bolstered by his son's courageous roar, Simba's strikes became more fervent and Adui was forced to back away, growling viciously as the king closed in on him. When it appeared the monarch would have victory, a geyser near Simba's back leg erupted. The startled king turned to find the source of the blast. Simba was still turned away when Adui grasped a large stone in his claws and swung it, clouting the back of Simba's head. The king released one startled cry as he fell senseless to the earth.
Adui stared expressionlessly at Simba, dropping the rock as he moved closer to the prone king. He bared his fangs, eager to sever Simba's windpipe…
A vicious roar ripped through the air as Kopa launched himself over his father's inert form and struck Adui full force, the two males tumbling down a hill and off a ledge. They fell on an elephant's skeleton, hard enough to crush the ribcage. They stood from the skeleton's shattered bones and Kopa quickly engaged the older lion in battle.
"It's Kopa!" Boga announced.
Nala turned to where the younger lioness gestured, watching as Kopa and Adui clashed.
"Your prince can't save you!" a large lion with a black mane declared, lunging at Nala and driving her to the ground.
A smaller male with a gold mane intercepted Boga before she could assist the queen. "Face it, Chickies," he giggled, "there's a new order in town."
These two males were the same lions who prevented Vitani from warning the Pride Landers of Adui's attack on Rogue Haven.
Unnoticed by the fighters, five males crested a hill outside the graveyard.
"If we die, I'm gonna kick all your asses," Chumvi declared.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Dad," Afua muttered.
Tojo stepped forward, Umeme perched on his shoulder. He roared merely to gain the attention of the warring lions.
Mheetu looked towards the sound and his jaw dropped when he saw Leo and the other four males. "Dad?" he scoffed.
"To battle, my comrades!" Leo roared heroically, leading his companions over the crest of the steep hill.
"We're all gonna die!" Afua screamed, though he continued to charge towards the fight with his companions.
"Shut up, Afua!" Babu snapped.
Boga's opponent grinned at the approaching males. "Are those scrawny douche-bags actually going to try and fight us?"
Suddenly, it wasn't just the five lions charging down the slope, but also the elderly giraffe Shingo, along with a collection of zebras, hippos, various species of antelope, and five very large rhinos. Fifty enraged animals stampeded into the graveyard, eager to avenge their murdered families.
Bewildered by the sudden appearance of the herd animals, the black maned lion leapt from the queen and fled, pursued by two of the rhinos. The horned beasts quickly overcame him. What they did to him was unspeakable, his horrified scream ominously cut short.
The smaller golden maned lion edged away as Afua and Chumvi rushed on him and Boga, the lioness leaping aside to make room for the two males. Just when it appeared the two dark furred lions were going to dispatch the scoundrel themselves, a violent stampede of antelope rushed at them. Chumvi and Afua fled out of the stampede's path in different directions, Chumvi assisting Nala out of the herd's way and Afua nudging Boga to a safe place. The small villain screamed in horror just before he was trampled to death by the antelope.
"Oh wow, that was nasty," Afua grunted.
The newly arrived animals charged through the graveyard, assisting the other lionesses and quickly turning the battle in their favor.
"I can't believe you came," Boga gasped.
Afua looked at the golden lioness. "You glad to see me?"
"Of course I am!" Boga exclaimed happily.
Afua grinned alluringly.
"Wow, wait," Boga protested. "Don't get any ideas!"
"Well done, Umeme," Tojo said proudly to his adopted daughter.
"Umeme?" Nala asked.
"She led us to the herds that were in hiding," Chumvi informed the queen.
Umeme smiled shyly. "It wasn't difficult. You just need to get high enough to see all around…"
"Oh, up high, why didn't we think of that?" Afua interrupted sardonically. "Oh right, because we can't fly!"
"We thought it would be appropriate if the herds also had a part in punishing the lions who senselessly murdered their families," Leo explained.
Nala stared incredulously at her father. "Didn't we order you five to stay at Pride Rock?"
"Yes, you did," Mheetu confirmed as he and Madoa hurried over. "What the hell, Dad?"
"Why can't you two just admit you're happy to see your old man?" Leo chuckled.
"Wait a minute," Boga gasped, "where's Babu?" Boga's brother had slipped off into the graveyard unnoticed.
In a different part of the graveyard, Rafiki continued his exhausting spar with two vicious lions. Then, Beba shot onto the scene with six other cheetahs, the seven spotted felines joining forces with the monkey and quickly outmatching the two aggressors.
"Off the old man!" Beba snarled.
Emboldened by the aiding cheetahs, Rafiki cackled fearlessly and struck the two lions more deftly with his staff, keeping them distracted while the cheetahs ran circles around them, biting and clawing the two thugs on their sides and legs. The two lions retreated in frustration, running several yards before they too were overtaken by the vengeful stampede of animals.
In the graveyard's central clearing, Timira struggled furiously with her two opponents, Vitani feebly inching her way to the dark female despite her wounds. "Timira!" Vitani cried.
"I got this," Timira declared arrogantly. As soon as she said this, the smaller dark furred male grasped her by the hind legs and held her while his large gray partner bit into one of her forelimbs. Timira dug her claws into the large male's shoulders, drawing blood but not enough to dislodge him.
"Timira!" Babu roared as he rushed into the clearing and leapt for the gray male biting the lioness. The large lion was knocked off and Timira spun about to face the smaller lion grasping her back legs. The two males regrouped and Babu positioned himself beside Timira.
"Well, look at what we have here," the smaller villain chuckled.
"You," Babu hissed viciously, recognizing the two lions responsible for his father's death.
"How's Mega doing?" the larger opponent laughed. "Not so good, I imagine."
"Murderers!" Babu roared.
The larger brute charged and collided with Babu while Timira engaged the smaller lion. Babu was quickly pinned by his battle-savvy opponent.
"When you see your pops, give him our regards," the larger murderer chuckled as he stood over Babu.
Vitani pulled herself over to Babu and his opponent, baring her fangs and biting down hard on the evil lion's back leg.
Babu's opponent let out a startled roar of pain and, taking advantage of the distraction, Babu pushed the male off and swung madly with his claws, tearing through his opponent's jugular with one wild swipe. The large lion flopped dead beside Babu.
"No!" the smaller murderer cried upon seeing his partner's defeat. He'd taken his eyes off Timira for only a second, long enough for the lioness to clamp down on his throat, driving the villain to the earth and pressing his windpipe closed. He struggled, unable to breathe, and slowly suffocated to death.
Timira released her lifeless enemy's neck and took a step back, breathing heavily. Babu moved close to her and nuzzled her cheek.
"Mega has been avenged," Timira told Babu consolingly.
A wrathful roar echoed throughout the graveyard, startling the three adolescent lions.
"That was Kopa!" Vitani gasped, struggling to stand once more but slumping back on her side.
In a secluded ditch in the graveyard, Kopa struck his opponent a harsh blow, sending Adui rolling over some prickly bone fragments. The prince skidded to a stop, his mane settling about his shoulders as Adui struggled to his feet.
"You understand why I have to kill you, right?" Kopa said solemnly.
Adui glared at the younger lion. "Yes, because murder runs through your veins. What else would anyone expect from Scar's kin?" He lunged at Kopa.
"You know, I find it hilarious how much you dislike Scar," Kopa taunted as he stealthily dodged Adui's attack, "considering how much you two have in common."
"I'm nothing like that evil despot!" Adui snarled, spinning around and lunging at Kopa a second time.
"No?" Kopa responded mildly, eluding Adui's attack again and using his opponent's momentum to send him toppling over. "You both had the same shitty taste in women."
Adui rolled onto his feet and faced Kopa. He smiled to himself, realizing how foolish he'd been for letting the arrogant youth bait him. "It's funny you should say that, considering that whore mother of yours was Scar's first choice for a queen."
Kopa was visibly startled by this revelation.
"Tell me, Kopa, are you certain you know who your father is? Are you really Simba's son – or are you his cousin?"
Kopa's face went stony. "You shouldn't have gone there, you pussy-whipped son-of-a-bitch!"
Adui laughed viciously, charging Kopa once again. Kopa met him head on and they clawed and bit madly at each other. With this opponent, Adui had to utilize all his skills. Kopa had lived a life very similar to Adui, surviving adolescence out in the wilderness, battling constantly with other rogues for meals and territory, honing the lethal skills required to hunt alone – Adui may have had an advantage over Simba but Kopa was his equal.
In the back of the prince's head, Kopa could hear his father's words: "I love you. That is why I'm facing Adui – not because I hate him. When you understand that, then you will fight with us." Kopa finally understood. Simba didn't want Kopa to let the darkness corrupt him as it had corrupted so many others: Scar, Zira, and even Simba during the battle with the Outlanders. It was the same darkness that Kovu was afraid might still be in his heart. You must only ever kill in self defense – must only ever fight in order to protect the ones you love. Fighting out of hate was what turned someone into a monster – and if you killed with that darkness in your heart, you could never be saved. Adui could never be saved!
"Kovu and Vitani loved you!" Kopa roared despairingly.
"They betrayed me!" Adui roared back.
"You betrayed them!" Kopa retorted, striking Adui a hard blow and sending the older lion spinning. The prince pinned his enemy and leaned in close to his face. "A real father would have put his children's happiness before his own. Your selfish vendetta drove them away!"
"They cast their mother aside like trash!" Adui spat.
"Just like Zira cast you aside."
"No," Adui roared, sweeping up some dirt in his paw and tossing it in Kopa's eyes. "She was stolen from me!"
The prince jerked away instinctively and rubbed at his face. "Dirt in the eyes?" Kopa snarled. "Are you kidding me, you nine-sided pussy!"
Adui laughed, allowing the momentarily blinded Kopa to pinpoint his location. As Adui lunged at Kopa, the prince utilized his mother's famous roll-and-pin. Kopa restrained Adui again, muscles tensed so that the murderer could not escape. Kopa kept his eyes closed tight, allowing his tears to wash the dirt out.
"I won't let you hurt Vitani ever again!" Kopa whispered as his reddened eyes opened.
Staring into the youth's emotionless bloodshot eyes sent a chill down Adui's spine and he realized he was going to die – unless…
"Please," Adui gasped, "have mercy."
Kopa regarded his potential victim and considered his request. Would Vitani still love him if Kopa was the one to kill her father?
"You wish for me to believe you and your father are nothing like Scar?" Adui continued, tears in his eyes. "Prove it. Scar would not show mercy but you can!"
Kopa's eyes widened in concern.
"For my children - for my daughter, I beg you!"
Kopa's eyes narrowed. "You murdered my grandmother," he said darkly.
Adui wept. "Please, forgive me!"
Kopa closed his eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispered, "but you must be punished…"
A surge of panic erupted through Adui and he shoved with all his might, knocking the surprised youth away. Kopa fell on his side as Adui leapt on him, desperation in the murderer's eyes as he clamped down on Kopa's throat and began to suffocate the prince just as Timira had done to her opponent. Kopa tensed his neck against Adui's bite and, instead of struggling wildly, calculatingly drove his claws into Adui's face, viciously dragging his nails down Adui's eyebrows and nose. The pain was enough to cause Adui to scream, loosening his grip on the prince. Kopa spun sideways, dislodging himself from Adui's grasp. Adui stumbled forward and Kopa bit down on Adui's throat.
"No!" Adui sobbed before Kopa severed his spine. The black maned leader of the murderous Rogue Pride dropped dead at the prince's feet.
Kopa took several breaths, his neck still sore from Adui's attempted asphyxiation. Slowly, the prince felt his blood cool and his heart slowed to a steady beat. He stared at his lover's father and felt his eyes fill with tears. "I'm sorry," he wept, leaning down and nuzzling the lifeless lion. "I had no choice." He gazed up into the sky. "Vitani, forgive me."
Continue to Chapter 15