The crowds died down around Karimu and Kuwinda, with all the Pridelanders returning to their usual duties, preparing for the prospect of a better life up north. The hushes of fear had been replaced with whistles, hums of hope, happiness and community. As it should be.
As the crowds settled, Kuwinda and Karimu shot up to their paws. They knew where Kopa had gone. Hell, they could hear the muffled roars of him and Simba, coming from the cave at the opposite end of the camp, the small enclave for the cubs of Jasiri's clan, back when this area was her clan's den.
They slowly entered, side by side, with the prowess and strength of royalty, as they were. Kopa and Simba were arguing, growling and roaring at each other across the small cave. Nala stood behind Simba, trying to butt in on their argument.
"We are not going to leave our home behind, just to chase down a pathetic dead pride!" Simba stared coldly at his nephew, his sharp, predatory teeth, snarling and spitting out his words. Kopa could only stare back, the greenish fires of betrayal flickered through his eyes, spreading up the scarred slit adorning the left one.
At the sound of the lionesses' entrances, his eyes darted to the side, catching a glimpse of his two lovers. They stared at him, into his very soul. Kuwinda's eyes watered at the sight of him. His anger, his fiery rage. Seeing her in such a state, shook and terrified, extinguished him. He felt a splash of calm rush over his mind, over his body. Turning back to a vicious, fuming king, Kopa couldn't help but feel a bit of hatred. Why couldn't he understand?
"The Uasi Pride is more than just a pride. "He began to explain, taking a deep breath before speaking. "It's a mega pride, a network." He began to slowly walk around the room avoiding eye contact with his uncle. Occasionally he would turn to Karimu and Kuwinda. giving them a loving smile. Karimu would smile back, whilst Kuwinda seemed lost in his words.
Even Simba had become silenced feeling Nala brush beside him her ears erect at the side of her head, absorbing every word escaping her nephew's muzzle. Kopa continued. "We used to stand 40 strong, just in the main pride. With the others, we could easily take back the Pridelands, and defeat Scar." The lionesses' ears shot up, along with their ability to grin. Simba just looked at Kopa, seemingly rather confused still. The clogs in his head slowly turning, concocting his views and, more importantly, his verdict.
"No!" Simba shot away from Kopa and even Nala. He paced up and down, up and down, seemingly tied to a sense of caution. "It's too dangerous." He kicked the idea out of his head, sulking away into the corner of the cave surrounded in darkness. His brown eyes twinkled through the shadows as he continued, whispering. "We'll all die trying anyway."
"I disagree." Every eye in the room shot across to the other side, which spread further into the caverns. A series of shadows laid themselves throughout, staring directly at the arguing lions. The one that spoke walked forwards, followed by four others.
"Kion?" Simba whispered, shocked to see his son through the glisten of light. His fierce, adolescent body blocking a reasonable beam of light from entering the cave. Closely beside the young lion, stood the rest of the guard, with Fuli standing close beside him.
"Kopa's right." The young lion stepped out of the shadows, joining the inner circle of the conversation. The guard followed slowly stopped just before joining the lions, except for Fuli, who joined kion, staying a relevant distance away from the Prideland's prince. Kopa stared at Kion as Karimu, Kuwinda and Nala did too, eager to hear his thoughts. "We'll be dead if we wait here." The prince lowered his head at the sight of Kopa. A sense of pride burning in his chest as he took the higher ground in the conversation.
With courage, he looked back up a Kopa. A slight hint of worry glistened in the older lion's brown eyes. He could see the glimmer of green in his eye, flickering and contorting. It was as if they were staring back at him, as if someone else, other than Kopa, was looking at the prince. This didn't last long, however, seemingly disappearing from Kopa's glance as soon as Karimu and Kuwinda nuzzled him.
"Scar will sure know about us by now." Kopa muttered, looking directly at affirmative, nodding Kion. The young prince smiled at him, seemingly agreeably. They both turned to Simba, who continued to lay in the shadows, his mate, Nala, trying to comfort him, whispering sweet nothings into his ear. The slight patter, a flutter of wings echoed from outside, reverberating into the cave as a slightly worried, rushing Jicho landed on the ground, Zazu closely following her.
"Kopa! King Simba!" She squawked, trying to grasp her breath. Zazu, old and worn, could barely breathe, panting like a hyena resting in the boiling sun. His wing muscles burning with wear and tear. Everyone turned to them. shocked by their appearance, especially at the urgency, the weariness in their appearance.
"Jicho?" Kopa slowly approached the two birds, worryingly stuttering at the eagle especially. "What's wrong?"
"The Outsiders!" The eagle sputtered, her breath nearly returning to normal. "We saw a lioness running back to Pride Rock, through the Outlands!" Everyone stared at Kopa. Upon hearing the news, he turned, starting to pace up and down, up and down. This was it.
From the depths of the shadows, Simba arose. Ears flopped, he crawled towards the others.
"What's your plan?" Upon hearing the king's seemingly acceptance of the situation. Kopa looked around him, facing every single creature in the cave, hoping for their acceptance. He didn't have to look long to find it.
Seeing everyone's compliance with his plan. Kopa turned back to Simba, slowly approaching the king. Sitting down, he took a deep breath. Karimu and Kuwinda moved to sit beside him, snuggling up to their mate as he began to enclose the details of his potentially life-saving plan.
"There are three paths to the Uasilands that we can use." Everyone listened, their ears focusing on what Kopa was saying. Jicho fluttered forwards, nestling slightly in front of Karimu, sitting to the right side of Kopa. "You and Nala can lead the survivors to the Uasilands, taking a lower route through the Outlands and up to the north, past the Theluji mountains." He stroked his paw across the ground, marking out a fairly basic route around a small pile of dirt. "Whilst Kion and I take the others, luring Scar's forces away from you."
Simba and Nala looked at each other, a silence washing between the two. After some time, they turned back to Kopa and his gathered followers.
"Sounds good." Simba smiled at his nephew, slowly approaching him. The pair enjoyed a quick nuzzling before separating. Nala stepped towards Kopa, nuzzling just after her mate. Karimu, Kuwinda and Kion joined in, snuggling up to Simba and Nala in appreciation. Fuli and the guard, along with Jicho and Zazu, watched on, with Bunga especially cooing at such a warm, family interaction.
"I'm glad you've heard me out." Kopa hummed. Turning to Jicho, his smile returned to the firm, concentrated look of leadership. "Jicho, take Ono and Zazu. Show them the routes from the air." Upon hearing this order, Jicho raised her wing to the side of her head, saluting her seemingly commanding officer. She flicked her head at Ono and a still partially tires Zazu, enticing them up to the air to fly off, ready to learn the routes they would need to lead the others.
As they flew off, Simba turned back to Kopa, ready and urging to start. Kopa sat before everyone creating a circle surrounding him. "Ok everyone, we need to gather everyone and move out before Scar's army arrives." Upon hearing this, Nala and Simba left, bowing before their nephew, uttering no words.
Karimu and Kuwinda snuggled up to Kopa licking his face. "I knew you could do it." Karimu whispered in his ear, before arsing to her paws. Kuwinda followed as the pair began to leave. As they did, Karimu whispered something at Kuwinda, forcing the pair to look at Koa as they left. Their tails shook, side to side, occasionally grasping each other as they walked. Kopa could only smile at this. They were getting along, becoming practically sisters. As he attempted to follow them, Kion leapt in front of him a look of worry adorning his muzzle.
"Kopa! I need to talk to you." The adolescent lion stared up at his cousin. He quickly turned to Fuli, who seemingly understood what he was talking about. She smiled at him before turning to Beshte and Bunga, forcing them to leave their leader and the Royal Mlinzi in peace. As they did, Kion and Kopa sat, beginning to converse.
Upon reaching the exit, Fuli turned back around, her ears flickering as she could barely pick out their conversation. Making sure that Bunga and Beshte continued to walk, she hid at the entrance, listening in to her leader's conversation. She heard of the otherworldly realm that he had seen, the task that he had been given. Kopa said nothing, that she could hear at least. As they talked, the pair seemingly occasionally looked into Fuli's direction, smiling as they did so. Had they seen her?
Kopa placed his paw on Kion's shoulder, before nuzzling the prince. After a few seconds, the two lions left, walking out of the cave, before separating. Kopa sprinted out to the quickly gathering groups of survivors, ready to move out. Kion, on the other paw, sprinted out in the opposite direction, seemingly heading in the same direction that Bunga and Beshte had travelled. Once he passed, Fuli followed, her mind still intrigued by what she had heard.
What were they talking about? Was Kion ok? Why did he talk to Kopa and not her? Did he and Kopa know she was watching them?
These thoughts weren't relevant, however. The survivors were gearing for a 'retreat' and every member of the Lion Guard would need to stand against impossible odds. She had to stay strong, not just for herself.
But for Kion too...
After a while, Simba ordered all survivors to rally around. The lionesses of the Pridelands surrounded the group, providing a layer of defence around them. Kion and the guard stood outside of this circle, resting themselves.
Through the crowded gathering, Simba and Nala squeezed to the front. Turning around Simba took a deep breath, a sense of comfort flushing through his body as he felt his mate's fur brush against his.
"Is everyone ready?" The king cheerfully roared, a slight hint of worry hidden in his cry. A part of him still didn't believe they would survive, but he was willing to try and me it happen, just for Kopa. A series of cheers and roars reverberated across the land, rallying the spirits of the Pridelanders in a complete show of unison. They were ready.
"Ok then, let's move out!" Simba arose to his paws, Nala closely behind him, as they led the gathering of surviving Pridelanders out of the Jasiri's old hyena den. Not long after, Ono and Jicho returned, fluttering down to their leaders.
"Everything's in place, Kopa." Jicho saluted her leader. Ono, on the other wing, hopped over to Kion, who seemed a bit weakened, nervous. Meanwhile, Jasiri and Janja approached Kopa, the two hyenas practically inseparable from each other's sides. The hyena couple gently caressed each other's sides as they approached their old friend.
"Kopa?" Jasiri led the conversation. Her ears folding down slightly, in both respect, and slight fear, of the lion. He turned to them, so did Karimu and Kuwinda, who sat beside their mate. "We won't be joining you to the Uasilands." She looked down, as did Janja. The male hyena couldn't begin to even look at the lions in the first place, especially Kuwinda. He had hurt her in so many ways in the past. Hell, he was surprised she didn't kill him on sight.
Kopa didn't seem surprised. Grinning at the hyena couple, Kopa replied. "May I ask why?" His head, along with his mate's, angled slightly to the right, seemingly intrigued as to what the hyenas had to say.
Surprisingly, Janja responded to Kopa's question. "Well, we want to stay."
"Besides." Jasiri brushed past him, rubbing her neck along his. As she left his body, she looked up at Kopa and his mates, smiling like never before. "We have become one." Jana smiled at her, his chest-beating with the strength of a hyena's back jaw. Karimu and Kuwinda sighed, instantly knowing what they meant. It took Kopa a few seconds more but when the realised his eyes widened.
"You?" sputtering in shock, Kopa stared at the now nuzzling hyenas. They only nodded at him, smiling with the strength of a certain Hippo, who rested nearby. Kopa, along with his mates, couldn't help but grin back elated at such news. "Wow! I guess congratulations are in order." He softly approached the two hyenas, brushing a single paw behind them. With one gentle motion, he pulled them into him, holding them in a friendly, congratulatory hug.
As he let go of the two, Kopa's mind flushed with darker, worry drenched thoughts. "But surely it would be safer just to-"
"We know." Jasiri interrupted, blinking up at her old friend. "But this is our home, and somebody needs to keep an eye on things here."
"Kwetu Ni Kwetu." Janja snuggled up to his mate affectionately giving her a small, passionate lick across her right ear, forcing a slight tremor of a giggle to escape her muzzle. Kopa lowered his head in thought, close to where Karimu's muzzle rested. A smile, formed on his muzzle once more as Janja's words sunk in.
"Home is home." He couldn't help but think of his own home, waiting for him up north, waiting to be reclaimed. Giving Karimu a light lick across her face, Kopa arose to his as, signalling for Janja to follow. As they did, Karimu and Kuwinda hurried over to Jasiri's side, conversing with her further.
As Janja and Kopa walked, they reached the heightened edge of the canyon's wall. Looking out to the storm infused Pridelands, Kopa started to address his old hyena friend turned adversary, turned friend. "I know what you did." Janja's spine shivered as Kopa spoke. "And I may not be able to fully forgive you." The lion turned to see Kuwinda, looking at him as Karimu and Jasiri continued to converse.
He turned back to Janja, placing a paw on the hyena's shoulder. "But you've earned some of my respect regardless." Kopa couldn't help but smile at his friend, the hyena's muzzle trembling with such honour. He quickly pounced into Kopa hugging his friend tightly. After a short amount of time, they separated, deciding to return back to their mates.
As they did, Jasiri rushed towards Janja, pouncing onto her love before nuzzling him affectionately. Karimu and Kuwinda trotted up to Kopa, snuggling into his mane. As they did, Kion and the guard approached their leader, staring at Kopa. The Mlinzi nudged his mates away, acknowledging his cousin's presence.
"We're ready." Kion decreed, standing firm and fierce. Kopa couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. He knew he had made the right decision, only a few moments earlier. He slowly approached the prince, placing his paw beneath his muzzle.
"Ok then." Kopa smiled, slightly nuzzling his cousin. As he did, the guard started to move out, under Fuli's command. Looking up at the Mlinzi, Kion's chest vibrated. He knew what was going to happen, and he knew that this was far from the end for either of the lions, but the beginning.
Kopa's group, made up of Karimu, Kuwinda, the cubs, Jicho and Wivu, all began to leave too, heading northwest to the Lion guard's northeast. Jicho led the way, softly caressing the winds of change.
"Don't worry about us, kion." Kopa tried to calm the fierce lion. "We'll get to the Uasilands." Letting go of the prince, Kopa began to slowly follow his family, who waited for him some distance away. Kion did the same turning to find the guard waiting for him to lead them, as he always had. With a loving smile, he caught up with them, taking the lead as they started their long, perilous journey away from the Pridelands.
No matter what though. One thing was certain.
They were together in this.
Always…