II

A KING'S DISAPOINTMENT

Simba and Nala both sat on the outcrop of Pride Rock, just as the sun was crawling into the sky. It was a couple months later. Nala sighed.

"It's beautiful here," she commented, nuzzling into her mate's red mane.

"And it's all ours," he whispered, smiling.

Suddenly a blue bird flew over to them, landing on the jutted rock's tip, bowing before them, saying, "Your highness and majesty."

"Mornin', Zazu," the King the replied, yawning with a conjoined roar. "What's up?"

"Why, I've come to deliver the morning report, Sire." he answered.

"Oh yeah. Well, let's get on with it," and he heaved a sigh.

Zazu cleared his throat and puffed out his chest before saying, "The hippos are worried because the dry season is nearing and they'll have to move to distant water holes and rivers again, near the Outlands. I always tell them, Sire, that we can do nothing about it. The giraffes have been arguing about who gets what tree and when. As for the monkeys, they are just a nusence to the giraffes. Oh, and crockadiles are thriving here in the Pridelands more and more."

With another yawn, Simba stretched, claws extended briefely. "Tell the hippos we can do nothing, again," he sighed a second time. "and again. Tell the giraffes the trees are to share, and not only with each other, but the monkeys and other Pridelander, too. The crockadiles will have to live near the borders - I don't want a cub to get hurt." Then he looked around. "Speaking of cubs, Nala, where's Kopa?"

Nala shook her head. "He's still sleeping."

"He missed it again." growled the King.

"Sire?" the majordomo questioned.

"The sunset! Ugh...Zazu, before you go off again, can you wake up Kopa?"

"Yes, Sire," Zazu obeyed with another bow, before fluttering off to the royal cave.

Simba groaned, closing his eyes. Nala gently licked his face once.

"It's all right, Simba."

"No. He never wants to get up when he's supposed to, and today I was going to take him up to the top of Pride Rock." He opened his eyes which seemed to lightly ting with frusteration. "I remember when I was a cub, I begged my father every day to take me up there. And then, when that day did come, I woke up at the crack of dawn. I was so excited."

Nala chuckled and lightly shook her head. "Simba," she purred. "You expect too much out of your son. Let him be a cub while he still can."

He rolled his eyes and mumbled, "Well at least if he's not like me, then he shouldn't get himself in too much trouble," and he turned to his mate and grinned. "like we did."

"You mean like you did!" Nala snapped playfully back, raising a paw and batting it at him like like a cub.

They both laughed, before turning back to nuzzle each other, gazing out at the horizion in the distance of the north. The lush Pridelands were thriving with life of all kind: trees, green grass, more bugs than anyone would bother to count, zebras and other game, giraffes and elephants.

"He looks like you in every way, and yet he does not act like you," Nala giggled.

It only made Simba frown, though.

There was a yawn, and the two seperated as a small cub walked between them. He was gold, with a tuff of light gold/grown atop his head. The young lion did look like Simba in many ways when he was that age.

"What's so important that we have to wake up so early?" he asked, stretching.

"Kopa, as King, you'll have many responsabilities, and will have to wake up this early." Simba exclaimed.

"Sounds fun," replied his son sarcastically as he sat down.

Simba ignored Kopa's remark. "I was going to take you up to the very top of the Kingdom."

"Oo wow," again there was sarcasim in his voice. "Going on top of a giant rock. That's so cool, Dad. But I think I'll skip this one," he said, lightly batting his dad's front leg.

Simba surpressed a light growl. "Maybe I was wrong. I guess you're not ready for it yet."

"Aww don't take it that way, Dad. I was just kiddin' with ya."

Sighing, the King looked away shamefully, his mane covering parts of his face as he closed his eyes once more.

"Kopa, you are part of the royal family. You're going to be King one day..."

"Yeah? So? What are ya getting at?"

Simba shook his head, looking back down at his son, eyes full of disapointment.

"I'll talk to him," Nala whispered. "You're supposed to be patrolling the borders right now anyway."

Nodding, her mate took off, stopping once to look at his son again with yet another sigh, before padding off, down across the outcrop and down the Kingdom on the main pathway. The Queen then turned to Kopa with a warm smile.

"Kopa, my son." she said. "Rulers taking their princes and princesses up to the top of the Kingdom is a tradition at Pride Rock. This is very important and special to your father."

"Mom, no offence but, being King doesn't sound too...apealing to me." Kopa replied.

"Oh? And why is that?" she asked, still grinning.

He shrugged. "Er, it's not fun? I mean, you have t' look out for everyone all the time, and to wake up this early? Ack!"

To his surprise, his mother just laughed.

"You're a pawfull, ya know that?" and then her expression became more serious. "I guess you'll have to grow into it...Yup, you really do look like your father, and yet you are totally different."

"How so?" he asked, tilting his head.

"Simba wanted to be King."

"Well if it was going to be more fun..."

"Not everything is fun...Anyway, like I said, I think you'll grow into the idea. But for now-"

"Can I go play, Mom?" he then cut in.

"Yes, you can go play." she answered.

"Yay!" he cried, turning and taking off the way Simba had gone.

The prince was running, though, and so as he scrambled down the pathway, he passed his father, who was talking to a couple lionesses before he was to go out and patrol the lands. Simba blinked, watching his son go by before he began to run after him yelling, "Kopa! Kopa, stay on the path I've marked for you!"

Just then, Nala jumped in front of him.

"It's all right. I said he could." she assured.

"Hmm," Simba thought aloud, before turning his massive head to see Timon and Pumbaa coming over. "I'm glad you two are here."

"Uh, what is it?" the warthog asked in a scratch voice.

Nala raised a brow as Simba said, "Go look after my son, will you?"

"Ah, young prince Kopa! Why wouldn't we Simba?" Timon replied. "Don't worry, capitan." He started to tug on Pumbaa's ears. "Yah!"

Pumbaa snorted, rolling his eyes as he trotted off.

"Simba?" asked Nala.

"Sorry, I...I mean, I guess I just..." and he sighed. "It's my father...I still think about what happened."

"Scar's dead. Kopa'll be fine. Don't be so overprotective all the time."

The name of his uncle stung him, even making the great King flinch, but he nodded. Glancing out to the savannah again, he took off his own way for now.