A/N: Hi, everybody! Hope you're all feeling great. 3 I'm feeling so nostalgic. Heh. I don't suppose I can actually use the term nostalgia in reference to a fictional character, but I shall for the lack of a better word. Yeah, missing little Kopa, but the show must go on! I had an idea for this chapter (here's to hoping that it works), so I'm going to out with it here. I'll slot in ye old disclaimer, and we'll dive right in.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Lion King plot and/or its characters. I only own Lela.
Chapter 7
Kopa
I steady my breathing, trying to make as little noise as possible as I creep through the tall, dry grass. I catch a whiff of my prey, it smells gamey. Game is good, right? It could be a nyala, or impala, or even kudu! I step on a twig, and the sound of grazing stops directly. I freeze, hoping that my target isn't alerted. No such luck, the sound of hooves taking off sounds shortly after and I sprint after it.
In the grass that towers over me, I can only rely on scent and sound to track my fleeing target. I force myself to run faster and faster until I feel that I'm close enough to pounce. I leap, and land smack on the creature, rolling around in the dust but my jaw still clamped down around its throat. It must be a really young impala for me to easily knock it over with my pounce.
When the dust clears, I open my eyes to find a dik dik! Of all the boks I could've caught, I had to catch the tiniest! You've got to be joking! With a frown, I drag my feet back to Pride Rock, secretly hoping my friends fared worse than I.
When I reach Pride Rock, I come across my bibi Sarabi, sitting at the base.
"Hello, Kopa," she smiles. She notes the dik dik in the grasp of my jaws and enquires. "How was hunting?"
I sit down before her and drop my prey. "Do I have to answer that?" I asked my parents if they'd let me and my friends go hunting today. They were reluctant of course, because they didn't want us to overhunt – if we didn't bring home enough food and the lionesses had to go out and hunt again, the animals would be in uproar - but I convinced them that we'd bring back a decent amount of food for the whole pride. Obviously, this isn't the case.
She gives a warm laugh, "Don't be so hard on yourself," she starts. "You never learned how to hunt to begin with."
"Yeah," I sigh. "It's not as easy as it looks."
Bibi Sarabi smiles. "How do you think Afua did?"
"Better than me, no doubt," I answer truthfully. "Size wise that is. It takes a good amount of dexterity and sneakiness to catch a dik dik," I defend with a smirk. "So really, we can't say who beat whom."
"Hey, you two," greets Dad, coming down Pride Rock.
"Hi, Pop," I grin.
"Your son just finished hunting," smiles Bibi.
"Really?" Dad perks up with excitement at the statement. He looks around and when he sees my dik dik, a surprised, "Oh." is released. His face relaxes into a laugh. "Well, at least you caught something," he smiles. "Hunting is not easy. It's hard enough to hunt in a group, but you're alone and out of practice… or lacking practice." He gently punches my shoulder.
"Heh," I smile sheepishly. "I hope Afua and Lela bring back enough for the rest of the pride."
"Even if they don't it's a great excuse for me to get my mom into grubs," smirks Dad. He nudges Bibi Sarabi and a toying look bounces on his face.
"I don't think so," smiles Bibi. "I've faced starvation before, and I'm not fearful of facing it again."
"Aw, you don't know what you're missing, Mom," Dad grins. "There are these gooey blue ones that have the creamiest flavour-"
"Hey, down there!" calls Bibi Sarafina from the top of Pride Rock, making us all turn to face her. "Nala wants you all to see something." That being said, she turns back eagerly into the cave of Pride Rock.
Bibi Sarabi smiles at us before starting up to the cave.
"What do you think it is?" I ask.
"We won't find out down here," Dad beams. He dashes up Pride Rock and calls over his shoulder. "Come on!"
"Wait up!" I quickly pick up my prey and head up to the cave after my dad. I drop the dik dik on the ground at the cave entrance and eagerly prance inside. In the well-lit cave, I find my mom on the pedestal that my folks sleep on. She's on her back, and Bibi Sarabi and Dad are on either side of her with an ear to her stomach. Mom turns her head to the side, facing the cave mouth, and smiles at my appearance.
"Hey, Kopa!" she says energetically.
"Hi, Mom," I nestle against her cheek with a smile. I back away a little to look at her. "What's going on?"
"They're listening to the baby," answers Bibi Sarafina, next to me.
"Already?" It hasn't been that long since mom and dad said they were having a baby.
"Your mother was already two months in when your parents told you," says Bibi Sarabi, coming up from a listen. She makes her way to Bibi Sarafina and has a seat.
One might think that I'd be offended that my folks waited two months before telling me that I'm going to be a brother, but it's not like they knew that they were pregnant. They'd have had to wait a while to be sure.
"Can I listen?"
"Yeah, get over here, son," smiles Dad.
I hurry over to the opposite side of my mother and touch my ear to her stomach with expectancy. I listen for a while, facing my dad and him facing me. But nothing. "I don't hear anything?"
As soon as I say that, my dad puts on a look that insists that I lie.
"What do you mean?" asks Mom with worry, her frame tenses.
I look back at my dad, and he still has that look.
"There it is!" I say flamboyantly. "The little guy or gal is so energetic all of a sudden. Right, Pop?"
"I just got a kick to the face," Dad smiles.
Mom lets out a sigh and relaxes again. "So how did hunting go?"
I wince. "It could've gone better."
"Not as easy as you thought it'd be, huh?" Mom smirks.
"I wish I could say no," I laugh.
"Aw, don't worry, Kopa," offers Bibi Sarafina. "You'll do better next time."
I give a good-natured chuckle. "Waay better." As I sit there, listening to fake kicks and pretend punches, my thoughts race ahead to when I finally do hear the baby. The idea of a teeny tiny paw smacking me in the face never seemed more appealing. And eventually, that baby will be out and about. Sure, he or she may not be frolicking and such in the first few weeks, but each phase of life has its own perks, right? I can't wait to brag about all this to my friends. But… with Afua leaving, what's the point in making him all hyped and making the trio of us so involved when it'll all be ruined when he leaves? I sit up and give my dad a questioning look. He's still got his ear on Mom's belly. "Pop, can't Afua leave after Mom has the baby?"
Chitter chatter between my two Bibi's stop, and the eyes of my family land on me, then on my dad.
"Well, I don't know," starts Dad. "As soon as I make exceptions for your friends, that'd make me a biased king."
"I know," I say, still ready to offer an argument. "But no one ever said when a male lion has to leave."
"When they come of age," tells Dad.
"But not to the T right?" I say. "He's not going to stay for an extra year over his allotted time. Just few months."
Dad purses his lips, "I don't know, Kopa-"
"Think about it. The raining season lasts a few weeks over its margin," I say. "So does the dry season, and even the sun in summer." I list. "Nothing is perfect in nature right? We aren't either." I look to my mom. "How many months till I'm a brother?"
"Six months give or take," she says.
"Six months, Pop?" I say. "The year won't be out in six months."
Dad looks thoughtfully, and gives a sigh. He looks up at me. "Six months?"
"Six months," I nod.
Dad shrugs, "Alright. Fine."
Yes! "Pop, you don't know how much this will mean to Afua," I beam.
"I'm sure it'll mean a lot, if it means that much to you," Dad smiles.
"Can I go tell him?"
"Of course you can," says Mom. "He'll want to know."
I stand up, ecstatic to tell my friends. "I'll be right I back." I dash out the cave and scan the area from the cliff of Pride Rock.
"Kopa! Come down here!" calls Afua. He's with Lela at the bottom of Pride Rock, where me and my family once were. I run down over to them, and catch them in the middle of comparing prey. I wince, remembering the dik dik I caught. "We've been looking for you," says Afua.
"I was with my family," I tell.
"Where's your catch, Kopa?" Lela asks expectantly.
"It's around," I say. "I left it at the top of Pride Rock."
I look at the rewards of Afua and Lela's hunt. Afua brought home a blesbok, and Lela a zebra.
"So what did you catch?" Afua questions. "A buffalo?"
"Not quite," I start. "I caught something that takes a little bit more dexterity and speed and coordination."
My friends share a look, then they look back to me. "What is it?" asks Lela with a small laugh.
"The highly underrated dik dik," I smirk.
At first there's silence, but not for long.
"Bwahaha!" laughs Afua, eyes pinched. "You caught a dik dik?"
"Hey, it takes a lot of skill to nab a dik dik," I defend.
"Yeah," Afua wipes away a tear. "Your mad skills brought home a snack."
"It's not so bad," Lela smiles. "You could've come home with nothing."
"The meat on that little thing isn't enough to feed a lion," cackles Afua. "But you know, you're right. You're right," he slings an arm around my shoulder and leans heavily on me. "We can pick our teeth with its bones after a real meal." Afua uses his nails as toothpicks in jest.
"Ha, ha, ha," I say, a smile splattered across my face in rebellion to my unimpressed attitude. Whether we're making fun of each other or throwing down, I know I can't do without my friends. I guess that's why I smile at the insults being chucked my way. Even if it is only a few months more, I'm glad the three of us can stay together a while longer.
Hey, guys, thanks for reading! I know I've been AWOL for a while, it has to do with work and school. I'll see how things go next week. I hope to add at least two chapters, but if not, you have my apologies. Have an awesome day, all!