A/N: Hi, guys. I've had some amazing reviews and support that I value incredibly! It really does edge me on. In response to some confusion, I don't 'hate' the Lion King 2. I simply hate the idea that Kopa was forgotten in the making of it, so it's not at all my focus in this fanfiction. With the Lion King 1 ½ it was all about Timon and Pumbaa weaving their lives so that it fit with the first movie, so it doesn't take away anything from the production. It bridges gaps.
I always want to please my readers and give them what they want where I can, and there's some great suggestions that are unfortunately contradictory to my purpose, but I still want to find a way to fill them in. There was mention of bringing in Kovu, and I'll try to do that as best I can with the age problem that I caused. He'll probably be younger than Kopa in this fanfiction, so I'd like feedback if that's okay. If that's okay, I've already thought up how to incorporate him, but it'll mean I'd have to alter my vision to some extent (which I'm still not totally against doing, just because this is a fanfiction – it's all fun and games, not life and death).
In any case, I hope you correspond with me so that we get the wheels turning. If I do something you don't like, please bear with me, as I keep the interests of everyone in mind when throwing in new elements to the fanfiction.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Lion King characters and/or plot. I only own Lela.
Chapter 11
Kopa
"Hey, Your Highness," comes Afua's voice from behind me.
I look over my shoulder and shoot him a quick, "Hey." I'm very focused on something I'm working on.
"Where have you been all day?" he says, now sitting beside me. "What is that?"
Afua's referring to this contraption that I've made. "It's pretty cool, huh?"
My companion tilts his head left, then right, trying to decipher the nature of my creation. "What is it?"
"I'm not sure what to call it yet, but it's meant to carry my kid sibling," I step back to allow my friend to properly see my carrying device, without the overcast of my shadow. It's a bunch of thick, green vines fitted snugly together like a hammock, with a giant knot to tie all the vines together. "It took forever to make that knot, you won't believe."
Afua can't deny a sly smile, lips pressed together. "How does it work?"
"I'm glad you asked," I beam. As I begin to fiddle the carrier onto my chest I explain. "Remember the days when you were a cub and your parents used to carry you by the nape of your neck? Remember how uncomfortable it was? With the help of this innovative hauler, the cubs of the future are saved!" I smile in triumph, the miniature hammock, slung around one shoulder hanging diagonally under my chest. "Whatcha think?"
Afua gives a little laugh. "Is that thing safe?"
"Of course it is!" I tell. "Check it," I tuck a rock into my carrier and bounce from forelimbs to hind-limbs, causing turbulence, but the rock doesn't slip out. "See?" I smirk once I stop. "My dad used to sleep in these all day down in Hakuna Matata."
"Kopa, no one's gonna want to be seen in that," laughs Afua.
"Sure it's silly, but otherwise safe and comfortable," I defend with a smile. "No price is too large to take care of my kid sibling."
Just then, grandmother Sarafina comes along, seemingly awaking from a nap. "Now what tomfoolery is going on here?" she smiles, nearing us.
"Your grandson is on the verge of a parental breakthrough," Afua says.
"Is that so?" she sits beside the two of us.
"Well, I don't like to toot my own horn but, toot-toot," I laugh.
"So what are you doing with a rock in that… um…" Bibi Sarafina can't finish her sentence.
"It's a type of transport device for my new brother or sister," I tell. "I was demonstrating its dependability to Afua. It's fool-proof!"
"Unless the cub is just as interested in the world as you," smirks Bibi Sarafina.
I process for a moment. "Unless the cub is just as interested in the world as me," I nod in realization. "Dang."
"Don't give up hope yet," Bibi starts. "It's a smart idea, and can be used for early cub life."
"Good point," I say. "I guess I'm just waiting on pins and needles for the kid to get here."
"You might change your mind when he or she does," Afua smiles.
"No way," I counter, too excited to believe otherwise.
"Afua has a point," Bibi Sarafina says. "Cubs are a lot of work. It's no walk in the park. In fact," she laughs. "Your parents may dump the kid on you most of the time if he or she is anything like you."
"I'm up to the challenge."
"Good," smiles Bibi, ready to head off. "It will be a challenge." She takes her leave, off to whatever venture she'd been on before coming across us.
"Are you done with your baby sling?" asks Afua.
"Yeah, why?"
"I think I deserve some undivided attention," smirks he.
I return the smirk. "What did you have in mind?"
"Wasp teasing," he says, a playful look abounding in his features.
"Wasp teasing?" I repeat. Afua nods a response. "Oh, you're so on." I say. "Where's the nest?"
"Follow me," Afua says. He sprints off in the direction of the water hole, and I follow after him. We dash past the water hole and after a while, we end up amidst a grove of sparsely scattered umbrella thorn trees. "Here," Afua huffs, stopping at one not so special tree. "There it is," he nods to the elephant sized wasp nest, not so high up the trunk of the tree.
"Woah," I remark at the size of it. The structure buzzes, practically vibrating with warning, or should I say: practically provoking me to touch it? "I'll go first," I take a step towards it.
"Hang on, hot-stuff," says Afua. "You didn't even ask me if I wanted to go."
"Do you wanna go first?" I smirk.
"Nah, you got this," he smiles.
I roll my eyes and inch closer to the nest. Then, without warning, I thrust my fist at the nest, setting off the hot headed insects. "Run for it!" I call, springing away.
Afua and I snicker like scolded children as we run away from the furious wasps, who relentlessly pursue us. We turn left, then right, then round some trees, then double back. They don't let up.
"Young Sire!" comes a structural and formal voice. It's Zazu. He swoops in before me and Afua, not taking notice of the horde behind us.
"Run, Zazu!" I warn as Afua and I run past him.
"I beg your pardon?" questions the domo, totally stunned.
'Great,' I think. 'Now I gotta go back for him.' I stop and run back for Zazu, "There's a swarm of wasps behind you!" I call, sprinting for him.
"Huh?" Zazu turns and sees the black cloud of red hot angry buzzers and freezes in alarm, beak agape in terror. I lunge up and nab him between my jaws. "Gah!" just before the winged armada can catch up to us, I boomerang back the direction I was fleeing before and power on.
I tuck Zazu into my carrier sling and scan the area for my now out of sight friend. "Hang tight, Zazu!" I say.
"Sire, this is so humiliating!" complains he.
"Hey, try being publicly bathed by your mother for two years!" I laugh, banking left to avoid a dense area of trees. I look around for a place of refuge.
"There, Sire!" Zazu points to a pond ahead of me. It's the water hole.
"Thanks, Zazu," I smile. I sprint for it, then launch into the pond. I linger in the depths for a while, watching from the clear water above me for the departure of the bugs. They remain above the pool of water a while, then disappear. I burst out of the water and laugh a triumphant laugh. I crawl out of the water hole and part the curtains of hair that disrupt my vision.
"That was unbelievably-"
"Awesome!" I finish Zazu's sentence with what is clearly the opposite of what he means to express.
"I was almost attacked by wasps!" Zazu defends. He climbs out of my carrier and shakes the water off his wings.
"But I saved you, remember?"
"After you endangered the both of us to begin with!" Zazu turns his back on me and holds himself in a comforting embrace. "Oh, it's Simba and Nala all over again!" he cries in distress of the memory.
"Oh, c'mon, Zazu," I start. "Live a little. It was fun, wasn't it?"
"Fun? That, Sire, is not my idea of fun!" Zazu declares over his shoulder at me.
"So what? It's fun to work, work, work all day?" I ask, sarcastically.
"Yes! Routine work is exactly my idea of fun!" responds he, again, over his shoulder. "What will I tell Simba and Nala?" he asks himself, raking with anxiety. That catches my attention. I bounce around to face my guardian.
"Woah, Zazu," I start, offering a warm smile in an attempt to be as persuasive as possible. I lean in close to him. "They don't need to know. It's all over now. What the jackal doesn't know won't hurt him."
"Oh contraire!" Zazu pokes my nose. "The last time I hid something from Mufasa, he found out and was most disappointed to find the children poking their noses in the Elephant Graveyard. So for the record, Sire, what the jackal doesn't know, he'll find out! And he'll be bubbling with fury when he does!"
"Okay, okay," I say trying to calm the distressed bird. "Just relax, alright?" I look around me, hoping that no one is around to hear of what just happened. "If they find out, big if, just tell them it was all me."
"They'll ask why I didn't supervise to ensure that nothing happened in the first place!"
"You can't be in two places at once, right?" I say. "I'm sure you were busy doing something important, right?" Zazu nods, finding comfort in the thought of him doing the right thing. "You were busy sorting out something that called for immediate attention, right? So let's not pin the blame on you."
"…okay," Zazu seems a little out of his head, but he nods agreeance. "Okay. Okay." He begins flapping his wings, catching lift under them and muttering to himself. "…can't be in two places at once. Important it was, it called for immediate action."
I smirk at the sight of the blue bird. "Oh, Zazu."
"Kopa!"
I whirl around my head to see Afua running towards me.
"Hey, you totally ditched me," I grin, heading to meet him half way.
"That's one way to look at it," he says. We sit together, and begin chattering about how cool we both were in the chase. "Did you see that dive I took to the left? I was like an antelope, just 'whooosh' into that turn!"
"After I nabbed Zazu, I slung back with impossible precision!" I say, bouncing from paw to paw with energy. "He was traumatised after it all."
"Oh man, I can imagine the look on his face," Afua laughs, falling back on the ground. "I too would be traumatised if you were the one steering after all."
"Oh you're hilarious!" I fake a laugh. It's been a while since Afua and I have hung out like this… and in a short while it'll all be over. I might never see him again. I don't know about you, but this seems to me like it calls for some more memorable activity. "Come on, let's go to the Elephant Graveyard."
Afua stops laughing directly, but his demeanour displays growing interest. He cocks his head to the side and raises a brow. "What for?"
"I just need to pee that's all," I say innocently but with obvious ulterior motives.
"You can pee anywhere," chuckles my friend.
"But hyenas are in only one place," I say. Afua is confused for a moment, but he catches on. He hops up.
"If we get busted for this-" he smirks.
"Wait," I interfere, sniffing the air around us. "I smell something."
"What is it?" Afua begins scanning with his nose too.
I sniff closer and closer to Afua until I smirk and nod my head to him. "I smell a chicken."
"You're on you royal rascal," he grins. "Race ya!"
We sprint off to the Elephant Graveyard, certain that the hyenas would have nothing on our laughter.
There ya have it folks! Chapter 11. I'll see what I can do about your requests, I hope to hear from you about the Kovu thing. You're all stars, I'll see you in 7-8 days as usual.