Kopa remained distant from the rest of the pride, deciding to sit beneath the lush tree overlooking the shimmering crystal tower. The loss of his step-brother still bore down on his soul, freezing his heart in sorrow.

Through rain and sunshine, he just sat there, watching as the day passed around him. The Mlinzis continuously passed by, patrolling the land persistently as a result of the recent events. But this didn't bother the Uasian King. His mind was set in the past, on Kwaheri.

His head remained lowered, weighed down by the many, aeon-spanning layers of guilt embroiled in his blood. Every now and then, he'd glance down at his blood-stained paw, remembering Kwaheri's last, gasping words.

"Wacha waende, Kopa… Wacha waende "

The words resonated through his mind, causing a dribbling tear to soak his cheek. The chilling breeze brushed through his mane, freezing the droplets in place as he glanced up at the crystallised monument once more. Unbeknownst to him, he wasn't the only one staring up at it.

"Mind if I join you?" A familiar, surprisingly serious feminine voice patted Kopa's ears, taking his attention away from the resonating tower. Before the startled king stood an understandably nervous monkey. She clutched her crystal infused staff, letting it dig into the soil slightly as Kopa's eyes pierced her soul.

"Mtafuta?" Kopa asked. The recently widowed monkey held a firm posture before him, steadying herself with a glimmering staff. The young king hesitantly inhaled upon the bereaved primate, shrinking in on himself as she approached slowly.

"How are you holding up?" Her question remained unanswered, silenced by the gentle chilling breeze. Kopa shuddered, feeling the monkey's cautious posture shift closer to him. She scanned his body, watching as it reverberated in the presence of the chilling breeze.

"It wasn't your fault, Kopa." The lion squeezed his eyelids shut, locking off the flow of tears from the corner of his eyes. She raised her hand out, resting it on his shoulder immediately as he turned his face away, glancing out to embrace the tower's presence. "This is on Scar."

"And how do you know that?" The Uasian king snapped, piercing his eyes directly in Mtafuta's face. The lion's bloodied paw shot back away from a trembling puddle, littered with dirt. "You weren't there when that lion ripped his throat out, were you?" Kopa's voice intensified, reverberating the earth around him. The scar etched across his left eye hummed with a greenish hue, dissipating quickly as a savannah breeze swept across his mane. The king calmed, taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry, I'm just-"

"I know." Mtafuta placed her hand back on Kopa's shoulder, feeling the aged marking adorning his fur. She closed her eyes slowly, sensing the throbbing, swaying waves of pain brush through the Uasian king's mind. Grasping the staff with her tail, she held onto Kopa gently, letting him nuzzle affectionately against her body.

"It's just… He meant so much to me…" Kopa's attention turned to his paw, raised from the rain-trickled soil. Kwaheri's blood still stained his fur, not to mention his soul. Mtafuta noticed this, widening her eyes as Kopa analysed the messy stain.

"He had dreams, you know… we both did." Her eyes locked on the horizon, glistening in the shallow sunlight. She remembered the night before they left for home. Kwaheri told her to trust him, to believe in him.

"What kind of dreams?" Kopa's curiosity peaked, guiding his head sideways to glance at the wise bipedal mammal beside him. She remained silent, slowly turning her body around to face the darkened depths of Duni Caverns. Her eyes widened, clearing her vision and mind as her brain sparked.

"He… He dreamt of a place." Inhaling softly, she raised her arm, pointing out a single finger towards the shadowed cave below. "There! He talked about seeing something in there." Kopa froze, knowing all too well where the cavern went. Memories of his cub and adolescent years flashed through his mind. The fun, excitement and simplicity of times gone by. If only things were the same now. His eyes focussed on the entrance, shuddering softly as a strange, ethereal hum spread through his heart. Something was calling out to him.

Or someone.

Turning his attention away from his old, decrepit home, Kopa met Mtafuta's gaze once more. The pair shared a calmed glance as Kopa raised a paw, resting it on the monkey's shoulder. At first, it weighed her down, only resting normally as she became used to the muscular burden resting upon her.

"Thank you, for everything." For the first time in the conversation, Kopa smiled. It may have been weak and barely noticeable, but the widowed chieftain knew all too well how to see the signs. The small muscle spasms, the flickering fire in his heart. Just like his step-brother. Piercing the ground with her staff, the primate rested her hand on Kopa's paw, reflecting a gentle, loving smile at the Uasian king who beamed back at her.

"As long as I'm chieftain, you can count on the Kitropiki Clan, your majesty." Her words shifted through the air as seamless waves, gently holding his ear canals affectionately as her smile grew. "We will fight… For him." She let go of his shoulder, letting the king slowly remove his grasp.

We'll make them pay; you have my word." Kopa's voice deepened, darkening as he arose. Stepping forward, the Uasian king glanced back at the strong monkey. She simply smiled at him, tilting her staff forward.

"Go forth Kopa!" The monkey's voice boomed. "Make him proud!" The pair shared one last affirming smile between each other before parting ways. Kopa rushed off down the hill, eager to learn of the mysterious feeling humming through his heart. Mtafuta stayed on the hill, turning around to face the glimmering Uasian tower once more. As she stared into its crystalised surface, a welling, harmonised feeling rushed through her heart, filling her aged bones with a pleasant fire.

Kwaheri may be dead, but his sacrifice would not be in vain.

They would make sure of that…

Karimu entered the Uasian courtroom, locking her eyes on the gathered sisterhood before her. They gathered around the assassin lion's body, arranged in a hexagonal formation. The majority of the sisters hummed, performing an ethereal chant as their leader noticed the Uasian Queen's presence.

"Karimu?" Afya spoke calmly, opening her eyes as the queen approached. "I'm glad to see you." She turned to Matokeo who simply nodded, taking her place as Afya stepped out of the hexagon. The rest of the sisters continued to chant, reforming into a pentagon.

"Have you been able to find anything?" Karimu queried, affirmingly softly at her spiritual aide. She sat down, watching Afya circle around her sisters. Approaching her queen, the head sister sat beside her majesty, watching as the sisterhood continued their ritual.

"Not yet." Her voice swayed with concern. Both lionesses watched the male lion's body slowly breathe, still unresponsive to any other external stimuli. The crystal around his body hummed with a faint, humming green colour, slowly dissipating as the lionesses chanted. "All we know is he was a servant of Scar."

"Scar…" Karimu sighed. She had feared Scar would have been involved. From seeing what the Scarred God had done to Baya after all these years, it wasn't unlikely he had done the same to this poor young male. She stared at him once more, a small slither of empathy pulsed through her fur as her eyes scanned his form. He was weak, broken and… afraid?

"How is Kopa holding up?" Afya's question snapped the queen out of her thoughts, returning her attention to the spiritually strong lioness beside her. The floor around them hummed, casting a blue hue as she thought of her love.

"He's doing fine." Her voice dipped, shuddering as a gentle chill swept across her skin. "He's just… Taking some time to himself." She glanced back up at Afya, who simply smiled caringly. The two lionesses shared a few affectionate moments, huddled up together as the ritual continued before them.

"Good, we'll need his strength." Karimu raised her head, taking a moment to stare into the sister's eyes as she spoke. "If Scar is behind this…"

"We'll win." The Uasian queen replied, giving off a confident smirk. "Without hope, without fear, without consequences." Upon hearing that oh so familiar phase, Afya smiled too. She moved closer to Karimu, giving the queen the smallest lick across her cheek before arising to all fours.

"I'll keep you informed." The head sister strolled towards her fellow sisters, preparing to rejoin the ritual as they spaced out to make room. Karimu watched as the ethereal energy surrounding the sisterhood grew in strength, cascading across the entire courtroom as they continued their spiritual chant. As the queen arose, she turned to face the large, glistening archway leading out of the room. She couldn't help but think of Kopa, worrying about his safety. As the light of day gleamed across her crystal marked forehead, she was reminded of one simple truth.

In times of shadow, the light is just as intense…