"Why did you bring us back?"

Simba waits until it's just him and his sons standing by Mheetu'cave before turning to his eldest. "Do you realize what you've done? What you've started?"

"I was protecting my kingdom!"

Simba glared at his son. "You cannot protect your brother and friends. How can you hope to protect a kingdom?"

Simba looks at the lions and lionesses heading back to Pride Rock. He calls out Malka and Jethro. The two lions return and stand by until wanted.

Kopa watched his father jump on a high ledge. "There won't be a kingdom to protect if you're afraid to act!" Simba stares at him. Kopa continues. "Whatever the cost, the land must know that the new King of the Pridelands will not be held in contempt."

Simba shook his head disapproving. "That's pride and vanity that talks! Not leadership! Have you forgotten everything I've taught you? What of a warrior's patience, cunning?"

"While you wait and be patient, the Nine kingdoms laugh at us! The old ways are done. You'd stand giving speeches while the Pride Lands falls!"

"You're a vain, greedy, cruel boy!"

Kopa growls. "And you are an old lion and a fool!"

The whole world seems to stop at Kopa's words. Simba falls quiet. When he speaks again, there's something terrifying beneath the calmness of his words.

"A fool, yes! I was a fool to think you were ready."

Jesús takes a step towards Simba imploringly. "Father-" the red-brown prince tried.

Simba turns and gives Jesús a stern look which stops him in his track Simba turns back to Kopa. "My son... You have disobeyed the express command of your King. Through your arrogance and stupidity, you have opened these peaceful lands and innocent lives to the horrors of war."

Simba looks up at Malka and Jethro where he nods. Without words spoken the two knows what is about to happen. So they calmly walk up behind Kopa

Simba turns angrily to his son. "You are unworthy of this kingdom...unworthy of your title..." He rips away Kopa's vine necklace. "...unworthy of the loved ones you've betrayed. In the name of all the great kings of the past. I hereby, cast you out!"

Jesús couldn't believe what was happening. Before Kopa knew Malka hit him in the back of the head, knocking him out.

Jethro looked at Simba. "Where do you want him to go?"

Simba thought long and hard before looking at his son. "Take him to Never Lands. There he will be watched until he proves himself worthy to return."

Jethro nodded before helping Malka with the prince. Simba sighed before looking at Jesús.

"Son, why don't you check on Jessica and the boys?"

Jesús bowed before heading towards the water hole he knew they will be.

~O~

Jesús had checked on the others like his father asked. After informing the three of Kopa's fate. They didn't know what to do but mope and question their actions.

"We should never have let him go." said Chumvi looking into the clear water at his reflection.

Jessica sighed from her perch on a low ledge. Her pale belly laid on the flat surface as her paws dangling over the edge. "There was no stopping him."

Maji nodded before lying his head down on his paws. "At least he's only banished, not dead. Which is what we'd all be if that lioness hadn't told King Simba where we'd gone."

Chumvi looks from his reflection to his brother. "How did the lioness even know?"

Jesús stares at his paws, his conversation with Nuka still ringing in his ears. But he was still on cue with the conversation going on near him. His ears twitched before he looked at the three.

"I told her."

Chumvi looks from his brother to the prince. "What? Why?"

"I told her to go my father after we'd left. Though she should be flogged for taking so long."

Maji looked at the red-brown lion in shock. "You told the lioness?"

Jesús looked at the orange lion. "I saved our lives! And Kopa's. I had no idea Father would banish him for what he did."

Jessica jumps from her perch and walks over to the prince. "Jesús, you're the only one who can help Kopa now. You must go to your father and convince him to change his mind!"

Jesús looks at the whitish lioness hard. "And if I do, then what? I love Kopa more dearly than any of you, but you know what he is. He's arrogant. He's reckless. He's dangerous. You saw how he was today. Is that what the Pride Lands needs from its King?"

The others exchange glances, torn. Jesús has a point. They watch helplessly as the red-brown prince leaves.

Jessica looks from the prince's retreating form to the brothers. "He may speak about the good of the kingdom, but he's always been jealous of Kopa."

Maji nodded but added. "True, but we should be grateful to him. He did save our lives."

Chumvi stepped up to the two. "King Jicho said there were traitors in the Pride Lands."

Maji looked at his brother. "Why is it every time you speak, it has to be something dark and ominous?"

Chumvi ignored his brother and continued. "A master of tricks could easily bring a handful of westerners into the Pride Lands."

Jessica and Maji looked at Chumvi, understanding the implication.

The orange lion shook his head. "No! Surely not! Loki's always been one for mischief, but you're talking about something else entirely."

Jessica looks at Maji with wide eyes. "Who else could sneak past Mheetu with tricks of light and shadow?"

"The ceremony was interrupted just before Kopa was named King." Chumvi added.

Jessica looked at the brothers with seriousness in her eyes. "We should go to the king."

Maji couldn't believe what he was hearing. "And tell him what? Oh, by the way, we think your son just betrayed the throne. And do us a favor. Bring back Kopa, he's a good fellow!"

Jessica shook her head. "It's our duty. If any of our suspicions are right, then all of the kingdom is in danger."