Chapter 26


"I just don't get it." Amber eyes watched as the Rasheda King paced before him. It had been at the very most twenty minutes since it started. That was to Kopa's knowledge that is. He sat along side Leta who was watching her son while the King paced the length of his den.

"These things happen Jaali. Some time it just takes time." Leta smiled at her some. Doing her best to reassure the younger lion. "Look at your uncle and aunt. Zakia did not have Zuri for some time. And had trouble concieving long before that and even had miscarriages..."

"You told me this a dozen times already mother..." Jaali started when Leta would not let him have the last word.

"Well then you should have let that sink into your head already rather than be as thick headed as your father could be." Ouch that had to hurt. Kopa watched as Jaali's head flinched at the words as if they had stung him. It wasn't that the King did not like being compared to his Father.

Mansa had been a good king from what Kopa had learned from both his mother and father as well as the Rasheda's themselves. His Aunt Leta enjoyed talking about her deceased mate. Saying it made her feel less lonely if she could recall the memories that she had of him.

No. He flinched more at the tone that the elderly lioness had used to put the young king in his place.

Leta gave a small sigh. "I understand it is frustrating my son. But you have time to concieve an heir. Do not rush these things. It will happen."

Doubtful. Kopa thought it. But dared not say it out loud. Jelani had told him that the new Rasheda Queen was sterile. And therefore would never conceive a cub. It was something that Kopa wished he could demand the guardian to change. However as Jelani pointed out to him.

While he may have the power to do many things.

There were still things that even he could not do.

Which confused Kopa at first but then he decided not to question on it. He was still sore with the guardian after what he had discovered months before. That the sister he thought was dead was really alive and was now living with the very cursed creature that had killed their mother.

Zira did not even deserve to be called a lion and held in the same category in his open and honest opinion of her. She was no more than a dark vile creature.

It had made his blood boil.

And still did thinking of it. That and the thought that his father and pride back in the Pride Lands were well and alive. And his father none the wiser to the fact that his second daughter lived with the enemy.

He felt his claws curl beneath his paws into the dirt floor of the den. Working to keep his sneer at bay. Not wanting to let Jaali nor Leta on to that he might be thinking. Not that it was something he could speak of...

Who would believe some two legged man spirit told him he had a destiny and that meant being away from his family. When all Kopa wanted to do was rush on back to the Pride Lands and see his father and rescue his little sister from the clutches of Zira.

He could already picture how she had been with him when he saw her. The way she held herself. The way she talked. He could see Zira in her in some way or another.

Jelani however had used something else...or should he say someone else to keep him from running off back home and to keep moving toward his destiny. Forward into what Kopa liked to call an uncertain future even with the events he been told could happen.

But as he said...Jelani had used someone to make Kopa listen to him.

That being had been...his mother.


"Hello Kopa."

It felt as though his heart was going to jump out of his chest. This couldn't be right. No...she was dead. And yet she was here standing before him. Her warm comforting smile never wavering. As loving in death as it had been in life. And looking at him with only the love of a mother could for her young.

"M-m-mother?" His voice quivered.

His mind flashed back to the last images he had of his mother.

Her body laying on the blood and mud soaked covered ground. The rain pelting her dead body. A body that was covered in so many wounds it almost marred the beauty his mother had always been.

Almost.

And now here she stood. Again her body had no solid appearance to it whenever the moonlight hit it. But she stood with all the slender that a lioness with her dignity could only ever stand with. The one he knew made her hold herself like a Queen though she never had grown up to be raised as one.

At least not one for the Pride Lands. The laws of the jungle was much more different than some of the laws of the grass lands.

The lioness standing before him reminded him of the lioness she was in life. Rather than the image that haunted his dreams since that horrible night.

Kopa's breath caught in his throat while he watched her take steps toward him. Her paws not making a single sound. As though they were not even touching the ground. Which if she was dead and she was merely a spirit here speaking with him.

That was as close to the truth as anything.

"My sweet boy. Look how you have grown. You are so handsome. And with so much more growing needed. I bet you will be taller and have a much larger mane than your father." A soft laugh came from her. Oh how he missed hearing his mother's laughter. It may sound odd to others for a son to think that.

But his mother had been carefree in her own way. And he missed laughing along side her. Much like he did with his father and the others of the Pride Landers.

Whom he had thought dead...until just this very night.

"All though never tell your father that or he will just sulk."

Her words earned her a snort from him. For that was the truth. He always heard tales of how his father's mane was late coming in at the beginning. How even at a young age. Kopa himself had a larger tuft of hair than his Father ever did had for some time at the very least.

He looked up when he felt a paw touch his face. A look of surprise evident on his face that a ghost could touch him. But then again Jelani had before and he technically was not alive. So why couldn't his mother touch him. It was not like he was going to reject it.

"My sweet boy..."

"They're alive!" He wasn't sure what made him blurt the words out. And almost in an angry and joyful way altogether.

He watched he sad smile come over his mothers face. And he immediately regretted taking that comforting smile from her face.

Before he could say a word. She nodded. "Yes...they are alive...it pains me my sweet boy that you had to live so long with the knowledge that your may could be dead. I never wanted you too. I wanted to tell you so many times." She cast Jelani a look making the guardian turn away from them.

Acting as though he was giving them privacy.

Zuri turned her attention back to her son. "But somethings prevented me from doing that." She offered him another sad smile. One that he thought did not suit his mother. Not at all.

"Eshe...she's..."

Again she nodded. "I know Kopa. I have been keeping a close eye on her. As close of an eye as I am allowed to do." Her smile lightened a bit. Like she was thinking of something. Whatever it was she did not say. "I have been watching over all of you...all of us have."

Confusion washed over him. "All?"

"You know how your grandmother would always go on and on about the great kings and that looking down on you from above and watching out for those in the Pride Lands?"

The young prince nodded his head. Not bothering to brush the part of his mane that fell into his face away.

"They along with me are looking out for you." Zuri's paw again came to rest against her sons face. There was a sudden squeak that made Kopa blink his eyes in confuse but his mother's smile brightened. "Even he is."

He?

The confusion washed away when Kopa felt a pair of tiny paws on his. When he turned his head down he found himself looking into a pair of brown eyes that held more innocence than Kopa had ever seen. What's more those eyes belonged to someone...someone he saw die...far too soon for their young life.

His little brother..."Musa?"

The cub mewed louder at him. But his tiny tail was wagging and he was looking up at Kopa with innocence and...admiration?

Musa then went to stand beneath their mother who smiled down at him then turned back to Kopa. "As I said. We all have been watching over you."

"Why have you done nothing!?" Kopa did not mean to snap but he felt his anger rising again at the knowledge that he been lied too all these months. And led to believe that the family he had back in the Pride Lands were all dead and gone.

What angered him more was the thought of his sister in Zira's clutches.

Zuri never flinched at her sons apparent anger. She feared of course the day that this would happen. On the other hand. None of them had expected it to happen as soon as it had. When Zawadi and Nuka came into the jungle. There had been a tiny bit of hope in Zuri's unbeating heart.

That her daughter and son would cross paths.

That he would recognize her whereas she would have no clue to whom she truly was.

Zuri had known it would be a long shot. So when it had happened. She had gotten her hopes up. Thinking she should have anticipated how Kopa would react to seeing Nuka. While the young male had nothing to do with what Zira had done to their family. Kopa had been led to believe that his former friends had purposely led him away from the safety of the den that fateful day.

Whats more she should have known what Zawadi's reaction would be.

It had pained her heart to watch the entire transaction between the two. She had thought to intervene but feared the consequences of if she did.

What she had not expected was for Jelani to come clean to her son about the truth. She was grateful. That much was certain. Kopa deserved to know the truth. It was just the matter of how he would take it.

And he was taking it exactly like she had expected that he would.

When Kopa had begun to say he was going home and screw his destiny. Part of Zuri wanted him to do exactly that. But again the consequences were there. She cursed the way she thought about them now.

But Jelani was right.

What good could Kopa do in the Pride Lands now? Even if he said he would not interfere with Zawadi and would simply just go to his father and show that he was alive.

Zuri knew her son better than anyone. Eventually, sooner no doubt rather than later. Kopa would have spilled about Zawadi to Simba and things would turn for the worst as Simba would immediately run to his daughters 'aide'.

But fact of the matter was.

Zawadi thought she was Kumai's. And would fight to defend the Outlanders from Simba. Would fight to defend Kumai. Zuri wanted nothing of that. No matter how much seeing her beloved and their children all reunited and living as one.

The worst outcome of that event was too much to bare at the moment.

"Kopa...calm down."

"How can I calm down? I thought all of you were dead...I thought I had failed Eshe that day when I lost her in the river! For years now...nothing but nightmares...I only just..." Kopa hung his head. Unable to no longer hold back the tears that been stinging his eyes.

He stopped his paw hard against the ground. Hard enough he felt the sting from the impact.

"You did not fail her." Zuri's eyes softened. She lifted her sons head to make him look her in the eyes. "You had done everything to try and help her..."

"I should have tried harder!"

Zuri did not deny or confirm that. Thinking her son was not going to believe her if she told him that he tried the hardest he could have done for one his age at the time.

"Kopa...enough." She spoke with such firmness it made the young lion start his tirade and looked at his mother. He knew that tone. It was the tone she used whenever she felt he was not listening and paying attention to something important.

"You did all that you could at the time. It was a horrible night. So much had happened. I wish so much that I could go back and stop all of it from happening. I want nothing more than for that to happen. To watch all my cubs grow up in happiness. But wishing for things is foolish...for they will never come true...so I must...go on and do what I can to help." Zuri kept that firmness to her voice. "And I been doing all that I could."

Zuri missed the ability to cry. For that was what she would be doing at that very instant.

"Sometimes things happen...good or bad...and there is nothing we can do about it." Zuri shook her head. "And Jelani is right..." Words the lioness never thought would ever come from her mouth. "There is no telling what could happen now." She shot the guardian a look.

Said Guardian still had his back to them.

Zuri turned back to Kopa. "The Rasheda's could save themselves. That is true. You might convince them to leave sooner. But I know my pride...they are stubborn. The jungle is their home. And right now they feel safe...and no..." She cut Kopa off when she saw him opening his mouth to say something and could only guess what was about to come out of his mouth.

"If you told them that the others were alive...they would not believe you. For you have no proof." Zuri sighed shaking her head. It was the half truth. For she figured Jaali would want to know if at least one of his childhood friends was alive. But as King of the Rasheda's. He had to think of them first.

And could not just go galavanting about to find the truth of the matter.

So yes they would likely not believe a word. And think Kopa was merely dreaming and hoping that they were.

And then there was the matter surrounding her daughter. "And he is right about Zawadi..." She sighed at the look he gave her. "There is no denying it Kopa. She was too young to have had her name Eshe for long. Zawadi is all that she knows. And what she will continue to know even when the truth comes out. There is no denying it."

Reaching out she laid her paw on his. Musa coming forward and doing the same giving a cheerful squeak. "It is not time...as much as it hurts me to say it...but you must stay where you are...grow Kopa. Let them teach you. Not just Jelani. But the Rasheda's as well...you will see them again..."


You will see them again.

The words rang throughout his head. And had for weeks afterwards. It had shocked him at first that his mother had agreed with Jelani. For some time after that he had wondered if it had all been a dream.

But it hadn't.

He now had a special guest whenever he trained with Jelani.

Musa liked to tag along and apparently had won the right to let himself be shown to his big brother now that Kopa knew the truth. And everything he saw the young cub. Musa would be looking at him with that same admiration. Something that Kopa could not understand why he would.

Deep down on the other hand. Kopa enjoyed it. For it would have been something he would have wanted if Musa was still alive and they were all living together in peace in the Pride Lands.

He had been told that Musa. Given that he had died as young as he had. His spirit would not grow any larger like he would have in life. And for that reason he could not speak either.

Not that it stopped the young cub.

Musa had his own ways to communicate and make those around him understand what he wanted.

Musa was the only one he saw since that night. He had not seen his mother's spirit since. Which disheartened him. He wanted to speak with her mother. Even if she was a ghost. It made him feel as though he had his mother back.

Jelani however explained to him that it would simply not be healthy. His mother was dead and he had to accept that. While her spirit could wander. That's all she ever was now.

When Kopa had asked about Musa. Jelani had given him a disgruntled look. And merely said. "I feel as though we cannot control this one no matter what we try." That had gotten Kopa to ask more on the subject for he felt that Jelani was keeping something. He had learned that day that spirits as young as Musa was often not allowed to wander the land of the living.

But rather to move on into the after life where they may live with those who never bothered to come back and watch over the living. And if that soul was lucky. They may one day find themselves reborn into a newer life.

Musa never allowed that for himself and neither did the others. And Jelani explained that they did not listen the first time and tried to deliver the cub to the other side. Only to side that he had wiggled his way out of the higher plains and back to his mothers side.

They gave up soon after the first couple of tries.

Kopa found he rather enjoyed that. It confused him yes. But he enjoyed seeing that there was something out there that could rattle the guardians and disgruntle them at best. And the fact that it came in the form of his little brothers ghost. Made it all the more enjoyable for him.

But yes he had almost thought it had all been a dream. Part of him wished that it had been. Living with the knowledge that those he thought were dead were actually living. Was a heavy burden on him. So many times he thought of throwing caution to the wind and ignoring both Jelani's and his mothers words and just going home.

Yet here he was.

Sitting listening to his uncle rant about how he thought it was odd that he and Mhina had not yet concieved a cub. Which worried the King. He had agreed to mate the lioness. The daughter of the now deceased King of the Maua pride. In order to strengthen the new coming togethers of the pride. And a cub between the two. A new heir would only solidify that further.

Harbing the secret that Mhina was truly sterile and that the cubs the two wished for. Would never happen.

Kopa shook his head while he thought on that. He had been tempted to tell Jelani he would stay as long as he could give his uncle and new aunt what they wished for. He liked Mhina. She was kind. Timid a bit yes. But kind all the same. And the Rasheda's liked their new Queen.

Mhina deserved a cub.

He knew that was all she wanted.

Surely there were plenty of cubs in the pride now. Ones that had lost mothers. And Mhina helped with many of them. But a majority of them had already found other lionesses to care for them. Those who had never had the chance to be mothers before that jumped at the opportunity to care for those that no longer had anyone to do that for them.

She definitely deserved a cub.

Timid and quiet as she was. The lioness had a sweet soul and caring heart. Leta always telling that that was important when it came to being Queen and a mother. When the time came for the ancestors to bless them that is.

Oh how Leta wanted her son to bless her with a grandchild. One of her own blood. That was not to say that she did not love Jomo. Her adoptive grandson. The boy was spirited and always put a smile on his new mothers and grandmothers faces whenever he was around either of them.

That made Kopa shake his head all the more while he thought on the matter of why Mhina and Jaali would not have cubs of their own. There were moments when he thought Jelani had to be wrong. That they would by some miracle have cubs of their own.

Kopa cared not for being King.

Over the last couple of months he had replayed those conversations with Jelani and his mother repeatedly. Wheneve he laid down to sleep at night and found himself thinking. It was that in which his mind would be drawn too.

At times he would think on it so much he would realize that he had not gotten any real sleep by the time dawns early light would shine down through the canopy of the trees and through the vines of the den he shared with the pride.

He did not have to be King to help them.

Kopa could still just be himself and serve and protect the pride without having to wear the crown as it were. That's how he saw it.

When he had expressed it to Jelani. He could see the Guardian had thought about it.

In the end it had come to the same old thing. What had been foreseen. Something Kopa was beginning to twitch his eye at.

"Something on your mind young lion?" Leta sat to the side of the young prince. Watching him much the same way she had been watching her son when she had told him off. For some time Leta figured there had to be something going on with Kopa.

She clearly remembered when Kopa and his friends had returned to the pride after their exploration in the jungle. The air around them and the looks on their faces had told her something had happened.

Kopa had not spoken about it. But Ishara when questioned had come clean and told her about what had transpired between Kopa and two lions they had crossed paths with at the edge of the jungle. This had surprised her at first. While in the past rogues had not been that common of a thing in their old territory. You still got the few that came by here and there that were chased off by Mansa or they foregoed the territory all together.

It was more what Ishara had described that had happened that had been what surprised her the most. A young male that belonged to the group that had helped kill his mother and pride. But also a young female that Kopa had run after calling Eshe...

The name had rung a bell to her.

Kopa had told her the names of his dead siblings.

Three young beautiful cubs cut down in before their time.

Whose names had been Musa, Kiara and...Eshe.

Her heart had gone out to the young prince. Thinking perhaps in that moment when he had spotted his old friend and had been overtaken by his memories. That the image of a brown lioness had just awakened something in him and made him think the lioness had been his long dead sister.

The very one if she was not mistake the boy truly held the guilt of blame for when it had come to her death.

Of course Leta had not said anything. And requested from Kopa's friends that they not say a word of it to anyone else in the pride of what had happened. A few good smacks to the head got the more stubborn of the bunch to agree to that.

If Kopa wanted o talk about it. Leta was positive he would.

That however had been months ago. And there was still no sign of him talking about it. Not even to his friends. And she knew that Ishara had been trying to get him to talk about it. But the young lion refused.

Shaking his head, knocking his loose mane into his face. Which he disgruntlingly pushed back out with his paw. Kopa answered. "Nothing Aunt Leta aside from thinking how Mhina might feel right now."

He could feel her eyeing him. Like she had for months now. In the end Leta only shook her head. A slight bit disappointed that her great nephew would not come forward about what could be bothering him. Although unbeknownst to her what he was worried about over all did play a part in Jaali and Mhina as well.

"Why are you here and not with your friends anyways?" The old lioness pestered the prince.

Kopa gave a grunt. It was not that he was avoiding his friends. He hung out with them. They acted like nothing had happened that day. But it still felt awkward at times. For he could tell some of them wanted to speak about it. While others would have rather thrown it all to the wind and just forget about it.

Kamal was the one who acted like that the most.

Then again that was Kamal for you.

It was not that he figured his friend did not care for him. Yes they got on each others nerves now and again. But they were still friends. Kamal just had his own way of showing things. That's how his sister Ishara always put it.

In his own way he saw Kopa did not want to speak of it. And so acted in his own way that what happened was nonsence and there was nothing to talk about. Something that Kopa was over all thankful for.

"I was just coming to report with Jaali that I had finished my afternoon patrol when I stumbled upon your little conversation." Which was the truth over all. Well somewhat truth.

He had come back from patrol AND his newest session with Jelani. Which had involved taking place during his patrols so that no one questioned him disappearing time and time again. There were only so many times he felt that he could say that he just wanted to be alone for a while.

Leta shook her head. "He allows himself to worry too much about this."

"He worries because he knows how much you want a grandcub Aunt Leta. And he wants to give that to you before..." He cut himself off not wanting to say it.

Leta smiled all the same. "Before I die...you can say the words Kopa. I know I am old. And all must die in the end. Even me."

The young prince nodded his head slowly. "Also he cares for her...and Mhina seems saddened every time it appears she has not concieved"

"These things happen sadly." Leta shook her head. "And there is no predicting it. One can never know how things would go when it comes to whether or not a cub will be born or not."

Only Kopa did know but there wasn't anything he could say about it much less do about it.

Leta laid a paw on his shoulder. "I'll alert him when he's done his ranting that you finished your patrol. Now go and see your friends. Have some fun...leave the grumpy king for me to deal with." She gave the young male a smile.

Returning the smile with a small grin of his own. Kopa bumped his head lightly against the older lioness' and then turned proceeding to make his way from the den. Only to give a little grunt when he felt weight on his back from the serval who had jumped from atop the den when she saw him exit.

"Oh please I am not that heavy." Nuru made sure to say before Kopa could make of any comment about her.

"Now when have I ever said that?" The Prince glanced at his serval friend. His first in his new home. He would be forever thankful for the help she had given him in the desert when he had been lost.

Kopa gave a small laugh when the serval swatted at his ear.

"What's got you all..." Nuru paused like she was thinking of what to say. "Far away?"

"Far away?" Repeated Kopa. "I am standing right here."

Rolling her eyes. She gave his ear again swat. "You know exactly what I mean...you're distant like. Been a lot lately." Nuru watched the flash of emotion cross her friends face just before he turned his head away and continued to stroll on through the grove.

Kopa shrugged his shoulder. "I can only give you the same answer I have been giving you every time you ask me that question. And it's that I have something's on my mind and I don't want to talk about it."

"Is it about your family again?' This time she watched Kopa pause and consider answering.

"In a way." Kopa shrugged again and continued on his way. Making his way to where he could see Ishara in the middle of bathing Lila. The young cub not moving an inch while her cousin washed the dirt from her fur.

Stopping momentarily to watch the two or was it the way he was watching Ishara mother the girl that had his attention. While Lila did not call her cousin mother, Ishara had adopted the girl as a way to make sure she just had someone familiar to care for her rather than some stranger like the other cubs that been adopted among the pride had been.

Ishara cared for the girl like any mother would. Made sure she ate, bathed and was safe.

In a way it was an attractive trait. One that Kopa found himself noticing more and more. What's more was he could not tell how he felt about that. Ishara was his friend. They had grown closer over the months for reasons that while they never talked about it. She was always right there by his side when the whole event with Nuka and Eshe...Zawadi he corrected himself...had taken place.

They had grown closer.

How close? That was still hard to determine. But one thing for certain was. Kopa had supposedly taken over the missing father figure role in young Lila's life. Like with Ishara, she did not call him father. But he could see the way she looked up to him. It had been much the same way that he had once looked up to his father with the same admiration one could only have for a father figure.

It gave him all sorts of...feelings.

For one he enjoyed having someone look up to him. But he did not think he was much of a role model. Perhaps in the past he might have thought that. Nowadays not so much.

"K-K-Kopa!" The familar stuttering reached his ears.

Looking again at the lioness and cub. He saw that they were both now watching him. Obvious to his own watching of them. He grinned at Lila who jumped from Ishara's paws and began trotting toward him.

Over the months they had been trying to help the young cub with her stutter. It wasn't that it made her any less special. Something they had to remind of her daily. All the same they thought it would improve on its own. When it showed that it would not be the case. They had taken matters into their own paws.

Not that it was doing much work.

Perhaps she might have it for life. It was hard to say. For now they accepted her and would continue to work on it.

Bending down to the cubs level, ignoring the grunt of the serval on his back who had to jump off lest she were to tumble off her self. Kopa merely shrugged at that. Again ignoring the look his small friend cast his way. Rather he focused entirely on the cub in front of him.

"How you been small fry?" He smirked at the disgruntled look he got out of her.

Lila was rather small for her age. Which made her self-concious as much as her stutter did. Kopa however still attempted to joke about it whenever he had the chance in order to lighten her mood about it.

"N-No-not sm-sm-small!" The cub stomped her paw.

"Is that so?" He challenged with a grin.

It widened when the cub nodded her head determinedly. He placed his paw dramatically across his chest. "My...how could I ever have been so wrong!" His grin began a full on smile at hearing her giggle. Giving the cubs head a pat. Kopa made his way over to Ishara.

"You do anything else during the day aside from take care of her?" He chuckled sitting down along side her while she rolled her eyes up at him. At least while she was laying down and he was sitting up, she could not hit him.

He did however feel her tail whap against his back to show her irritation.

That of course only resulted in him laughing full out right. He watched Lila make her way back to Ishara and give a little leap into the lioness' arms. Settling down in them and then laying her head on one of Ishara's arms when she was comfortable.

Ishara smiled down at her little cousin. Not once in her life did she think she would be left to care for someone so young, when she herself was not even a full adult yet. But when they fled their home, Ishara had immediately reached out to the young cousin she had carried to safety when they ran. She could still faintly remember Lila's cries that night when they found that her mother had not been among the survivors. Having always been close to her little cousin.

Ishara decided she had to be the one to look out for the cub. It was far more responsibility than she thought it would be. Not once did she regret it however. Just seeing how far Lila had come in the last couple months. Did the girl still cry occasionally missing her mother? Yes. Even Ishara herself still would shed tears here and there for what she had lost. For what all of them had lost.

She considered herself lucky to still have her brother by her side. And for Lila that she could care for. Learning how to care for her by watching the other lionesses with the rest of the pride's cubs. The older females said this would be perfect practice for her for when she eventually had her own cubs.

Whenever that would be...

Her eyes flickered to Kopa while she thought about this. He was rather handsome to her. And during the months that they grown closer...she still felt sorry for him for that day. Kopa still would not speak of it. Despite the fact that she wished that he would. Not that she was going to pressure him about it. But she was really curious about what had happened that day.

But back to how close they had grown...it was strange. Ishara did not think she would find herself ever falling for a prince. And yet here she was. Certainly he was the prince of another kingdom that she never seen and only heard stories of from him. But he was a prince nonetheless. And she found it hard to believe that it was what she was feeling.

The question was, would she ever tell him?

Ishara coud not be so certain. She feared telling him. Would he return them or would he deny them? That was what she feared. Having lost so much already. Ishara feared losing anything else. As foolish as that seemed.

"I do much more than care for her. I also hunt. Something I cannot say you do." Ishara teased him.

Kopa flicked his tail. "Well I patrol the borders so that you lionesses can hunt in peace." He stuck his snout in the air.

Chuckling, Ishara shook her head. "Yes." She nodded. "Yes you do." She smiled up at him and felt her heart flutter when he smiled back at her. "But all the same. I do a lot more than care for a cub."

Rolling his eyes. Kopa patted her head and grinned wide at the irritated look she gave him. "I know you do Ishara. There is no need to repeat what you said the first time. I did hear you" He grinned wider at the look that got from her before she smiled sweetly at him.

"Well one is never sure if you will hear the first time." Ishara shook her head at him. "I mean your head is awfully thick." She looked down at Lila where the girl was still curled up in her arms and smiled down at her. "So how did patrol go?" She looked up at him.

Thinking on it a moment. Kopa shrugged his shoulders. "As well as it could go I suppose." Was not like he could tell her of his training sessions. He could only imagine the look she would give him if he confessed to her about such a thing. No doubt the same look he had when he first found out about ghosts. Well just about everything he had once thought was nonsence when he was first growing up.

"You seem worried about something" Ishara pointed out. Watching his ear twitch which meant that she been right about her assumption. "What is it? Did you see something? Hear something?" She asked with some worry in her tone. Fearing that those of which destroyed her old home were now coming to take away the new home she had made.

Something she feared greatly. For it meant she would once again not have a home but could also lose more friends and family. Something she had no wish of going through again.

Kopa shook his head. "Nothing that you are expecting" He said first to reassure it that it was nothing that she feared that was the thing that was bothering him.

"Then what?" She eyed him curiously. If it could not be that than what else could it be that had Kopa worried.

"It's Jaali..." He turned to face her. "When I arrived he was...going off about how Mhina and him have not concieved yet." Kopa watched the understanding dawned over Ishara's face.

"He's not angry at her is he?"

The young prince shook his head. "More like upset with himself that Mhina is saddened about the whole thing and he once again cannot give Leta grandcubs to care for."

Ishara gave a small snort but shook her head none the less. None of those that came from the Maua pride could understand why Mhina could not have cubs or least having trouble at it. Her parents had been capable of producing cubs.

Javas figured that his niece would have cubs in due time. The young royal couple were still young. And had time. Though with the pending threat looming over the jungle. Many often wondered just how much time they might just have left.

"I suppose she told him the same thing she has all other times?"

Kopa gave a small snort and nodded. "Yes, but you know how stubborn he is..."

"Far less than you are" Ishara smirked at the look he shot her for that. Playfully sticking her tongue out at him, she gave him a small smirk.

Rolling his eyes, Kopa brushed his mane back from his face and glanced down at Lila. The small cub was curled up in her cousins paws. Her eyes closed, chest falling and rising with each slow breath that told them both that the cub was now asleep. And from the looks of it sleeping more peacefully than she had before months prior.

Smiling Kopa watched her a moment. Then lifted his head to the sky. Well what he could see through the thick canopy of tree tops that made up the usual sky. Sometimes the only place to see the open sky was by the river that separated the lion and gorilla territories and the waterfall that the river led too.

Kopa often missed the open skies of the Pride Lands.

Much like he missed a lot of things about the lands that were...or once was his home.

But at the very least he now knew they were still in his family's control. Rather than in Zira's evil paws. However his sister was. Not that Zawadi knew that. Perhaps she knew in some way. But not the part of where she was the daughter of the King of the pride lands in which Zira had her clutches around.

He clenched his paws to where his claws dug into the ground.

Catching this, Ishara bumped her head against his legs. Waiting until he looked at when and relaxed his paws when he realized what he was doing. "Want to talk about it?"

Like always he just shook his head. Something that she knew was likely to be the answer. Accepting it nevertheless.

Sighing, Kopa just laid himself down along side her. Smiling a little when she laid her head against his mane. Something she considered to be awfully comfortable or so that's what she always told him from the first moment she started doing it. And Kopa would not push her away.

From where he stood. Jaali watched the young pair. He would not say couple yet. The two did not seem to want to admit that to one another quite yet. Not that it stopped the rest of the pride from picking up on it. It had angered the young lioness' brother at first. His mate quickly calmed him about it and made Kamal realize that Kopa above all else had a head on his shoulders or she beat that into his head.

He was rubbing a bump for a few days afterwards.

"They are cute together." He heard the soft voice of his Queen.

During he watched her approached and gave her a smile. While Mhina was timid he found it endearing in his mind. He could not be certain if he loved her. Did one ever fall in love with someone they were arranged to be with? That he did not know. The only other two he knew that had been betrothed had been Nala and Simba.

Neither of them had fallen in love with one another.

Although neither of them grew up with each other like they would have before Simba's uncle Scar had gone and killed the King and had Simba forced into exile. Although for Scar's sake he had not known Simba was indeed dead like his minions had told him as much. Never trust a hyena. That was the lion way.

And Scar learned that the hard way when they turned on him in the end.

All the same. The two had not fallen in love and it was hard to say if they would have. There was no telling. Now that all of them were dead from the looks of it. But even if Simba lived Jaali had to wonder if the lion would have moved on from Zuri. His mother said that often it is hard to do. Which was why Zakia never found another after her mate died.

Granted there were not many males her age. But she could have left to find one. But never did. Rather she stayed with her young cub in the pride she was born in. Believing one day she would be reunited with her mate. And if the ancestors were fair. She had been when she had been taken too soon from this world.

Jaali was confused in his feelings. Having never felt love outside that he felt for his family and friends. But he suspected it was something that he was developing. Seeing that he felt guilty that the two of them were not having cubs yet. And he had a fear it could be him and he knew she had a fear if it was she who was the problem in it.

There was really no way to really find out. So they just had to keep on trying like the older lionesses always advised them.

"I suppose." He looked over at Kopa and Ishara again. He then turned to his mate. "How are you feeling?"

Mhina knew what he was indicating too and offered him her best smile. "I'm well." Was her answer.

Offering her a smile of his own. He placed his paw on hers. "You seem more worried than about us not having cubs." Mhina pointed out.

The King gave a tired sigh. "There is word from the birds" He looked at her. "They say the creatures are on the move." He watched the fear enter her eyes and gave her paw a pat with his own. "I am certain they will not come this way..."

"Do not lie." Mhina gave him a look. "I know the high possibilities."

Jaali gave a little grunt and shook his head then flipped his mane back out of his eyes. "I do not want to worry anyone."

"I know you don't" She offered him another smile. He always felt his heart melt a little more whenever she did. It was one of the things that made him think he had to be falling for this lioness.

"However" Mhina continued. "I suspect they all know there is something out there and the high possibilities. Just as much as I do." She heard him grunt and she sighed and pushed her head up under his chin and smiled when she earned a purr from him.

Wrapping a arm around his arm around her. He pulled her against him so that she could bury her face against his mane. He smiled and then sighed looking up and around at his pride. He wasn't going to be sharing things any time soon. He did not feel the need to do that. But at the same time he knew they all were keeping their own eyes and ears open for any threat that there could be looming on the horizon.


The sound of laughter was something he enjoyed to hear.

Kopa matched his pace with Amun. Whilst ahead of them, Lila and Jomo ran about. That day while the lionesses had gone to hunt. Kopa had agreed to watch Jomo for Tufa and the same with Ishara who decided she needed to stretch her legs and a hunt would do her some good.

Rather than keep the two cubs at the grove. Kopa decided to take him. Amun decided to tag along. But did so grumpily for while he walked and kept pace with Kopa. Atop his bag was the other member of their little group that day. Nuru was sitting smirking wide and proud from her perch on the leopards back.

"I do not see why you cannot walk on your own," Said leopard gave her a hard look.

It did nothing to deter the smirk from the smaller feline's face. "Why walk when one can ride?"

With a small snort, Kopa looked away from Amun when he began to snicker and his friend looked at him unamused.

Shaking his head the leopard decided to throw in the towel. Knowing full well from experience that if he tried to knock her off that she would only jump her way back up onto his back. And on and on it would go. So throwing in the towel this time around he allowed it while they followed along after the two happy bouncing cubs that were frolicing ahead of them.

"Good to know someone is having fun." He commented.

Rolling his eyes, Kopa gave his shoulder a shove. "Oh relax." He told him with a crooked grin. He then turned his attention back to the cubs. Jomo was one of the few cubs that was nice more openingly with Lila and did not mind the other cubs stuttering.

The two were chasing one another in a game of race.

There was however one more among them that no one but himself could see. Little Musa. The tiny ghost form of his younger brother had decided to join them as well. And was running happily along side the two other cubs who were nonethewiser of his presence. It both amused him and saddened him. Seeing that the cub was having fun. But he would likely have had more fun if he was alive and could actively play with them.

But the cub did not seem to be letting that keep him down. He was so full of energy for a...ghost.

Not that Kopa really knew all that much about ghosts. And he did not think he did. Might just confuse him more than the fact that there was some form of life after death.

"Spacing out on us Kopa?" He heard Nuru say to his left.

Shaking his head the young prince realized he been spacing out when he fell into deep thought. "Just thinking."

"Of?"

"Nothing." Was the answer he would give and from his tone his two friends picked up that he would not say nothing more than that. The two shared a look but shrugged it off. Seeing that Kopa had been spacing out more the last couple of months than he had in the past. They had heard what had happened that day in brief detail from the others. So they figured Kopa just had too much on his mind and left it at that.

Lifting his head, Kopa called to the cubs. "Don't wander too far!"

"We won't!"

He heard snickering and turned to look at Nuru. Who rolled her eyes at his questionable look. "'Don't wander too far!'" She mimicked him trying to match his much deeper voice. "You sound like the typical parent."

"Yet I am not their parent."

"The point is still the same." She chuckled as both lion and leopard glanced at one another and shook their heads at the thing they could not understand that Nuru somehow found amusing with it. At times there was only things that Nuru could understand and find funny they found. And it was better to accept it than fight it.

Kopa though knew somewhat of what she was meaning. It was often something that he heard a lot when growing up in the Pride Lands. And more often than not, he never listened. Jomo and Lila though. They were not trouble makers like he had been. So he trusted them not to get into any trouble or wander to far from them.

Figuring to keep his comfortable pace. Not really wanting to talk too fast to keep up with the cubs. He figured he let them have their fun before they had to return on back to the pride when Ishara would give the signal that the hunting party had returned with food. Which would be one obvious roar from the direction of home.

The three friends eventually stopped. Nuru leaping from Amun's back much to his relieve. The leopard lounging himself down on the ground.

In the distance the three could clearly hear the cubs laughter. Which reassured them that they were still okay without their eyes constantly watching their every move.

Kopa ran a paw over his head and let out a loud yawn. "Damn I am more tired lately."

"Perhaps it has to do with the late night patrols you been taking again?" Nuru looked over at him with a curious look.

It was no secret that Kopa would often get up to go and wander. Some figured he just could not sleep and wanted to walk until he was tired enough to do so. Kopa gave the excuse that he was patrolling whenever he could not sleep. But in reality he was meeting with Jelani. The damn guardian would not even let him sleep. Never any peace from him.

He nagged worst than his mother did in life at him.

"You need to give yourself a break man?" Amun glanced up at his friend from where his head rested upon his paws.

"Never can be too careful." Kopa gave another yawn. Not missing the fact that the two rolled their eyes at him. He yowled when he felt something hit his head and realized he had not seen Nuru move during his yawning time and had gotten on a low branch. Just tall enough for her to smack his head with her small.

And for such a small paw. The serval always managed to pack a punch.

Kopa rubbed the spot on his head. "I deserve that." He agreed before Nuru could comment on it. Nodding proudly that she got her usual point across. The smaller feline jumped from the branch and landed back on the ground barely making a sound upon the ground with her paws. That was how she managed to sneak around. Nuru called it a gift. The pride often found it annoying how she could sneak around without a noise. Depending the circumstance.

Turning his head, Kopa perked his one ear and listened and nodded satisfied that he could still hear Jomo and Lila. Then turned his attention back to his two friends. "I hope the hunting party can find something."

Amun gave a small grunt. "Something is spooking the prey from this area." That was not far from the truth. The hunting party lately had been reporting that they were finding less and less prey to hunt. Which was making the pride reserve what they could. Well before it went too rotten that none of them wished to consume any more portion of the kills.

Luckily it had only started occurring during the last 13 days.

The adults agreed they could go without food after a meal for a day or two if they wanted. It was more the cubs they had concerns about and wanted to make sure got well fed.

"Surprised you have not found anything out about it?" Amun gave the serval a look from where Nuru lounged herself in the one spot of sunlight that was spilling through the tree tops. "You the master of stealth and Kings royal majordomo." He smirked in a teasing fashion. "Perhaps you are not as good as you claim yourself to be."

Nuru looked up from where she had begun to groom herself once she was warm enough in her little patch of sunlight. Giving a small grunt she lowered her paw and crossed both of them in front of her watching the two bigger males. "The birds can't around." She told them. "Or have you not noticed among everything else?" She shook her head. "And those that are, they have nothing they said to report to me about it." She shrugged her shoulders. The birds and questioning them on things she herself could not find out on her own was her biggest advantage for certain information.

Kopa rubbed his face. This was something he did not like. But Jelani was not saying anything. So he figured there was no big deal about it. Perhaps the animals of the jungle were growing more restless and weary and decided it was best to get as far away as they possibly could.

Though if they were in the direction of where the Maua's had once been. It would take them awhile to get to where they now currently were located. That also had been months ago. Depending on how far those man creatures could travel in length of time. He pondered that they could be just about anywhere in the jungle.

Some part of him was hoping they give up and not take all the jungle.

Even predators knew not to destroy all or one could have nothing at all.

But he did not know how these two legged hairless apes thought. Nor did he truly want too.

Shaking his head, using his paw to push his mane back and scratched the side of his head. Now and again where his missing ear was. It would itch. Something he hated because it was often a constant reminder of what happened. Not that he needed it. His torturous memories and guilt he still carried were enough. Though if he said that to anyone. He surely be smacked.

To his right, Amun gave a small grunt. A disgruntled look upon the leopards face that showed he did not like this predicament as well. The oldest of the two. He was just wishing for some place to settle without having to worry about his home being destroyed and having plenty of food to fill his stomach.

He appeared to have found that with the Rasheda's. But recently things were going south and he was feeling uneased. Though not so selfish and stupid as to leave his friends. They had saved him and therefore he was in their debt. Kopa always told him that it was not necessary. Nevertheless Amun felt it was.

"How prepared at the escape routes?" He glanced at Kopa.

The prince sighed and looked off in a few directions. "Clear last we checked and ready to head too at any sign of danger." So that was what everyone told themselves. Truly there was no telling where any attack could come from. That worried them. But they kept on living trying to just make life enjoyable whether it lasted or not.

Gloomy. Yes. But they all knew the dangers and kept their eyes and ears open.

Amun rubbed his own face and flopped down on his side. "There has to be some way to get back at them. Everyone has a weakness. Surely the same could be said about them."

Nuru, having gone back to grooming herself, gave a small amused snort. "If you find one. Share it. For as far as we are concerned. They have none."

Something that Kopa hated to admit that she was right about. With those sticks that sound like thunder. They could strike people are a far distance. How could one find their weakness if they could not get close enough to take one out to see how strong these creatures truly were. If their only defense was their mysterous thunder sticks and those yellow large roaring creatures.

Giving a roll of his eyes. Amun rolled onto his back so that it allowed him to stretch his legs upwards and he gave a yawn. "Then I guess we're doomed." He yelped when Nuru scratched his ear and jumped onto his paws and glared down upon her. "What was that for?"

"Fun." The serval smirked then became serious. "While I did say they might not have one. It's not like we cannot try."

Amun gave her a look like she had lost her mind. Kopa the same. "And how do you suppose we do that? Find one?" He looked at Kopa who shrugged. The leopard shook his head. "No way in all hells am I willingly going to find a man creature just to test if they have a weakness."

"They can't all have those sticks." Nuru pointed out.

"And if it is hard to tell if they do or not?" Kopa proposed.

Nuru rolled her eyes. "It was just a suggestion okay!" She waved her paw in Amun's direction. "He brought it up after all."

"Yet I am not so foolish as to suggest such a thing as that!" He growled back.

Nuru narrowed her eyes this time. "How else would you find out smart guy!"

Kopa felt the urge to groan. Shaking his head as he listened to his two friends bicker back and forth. It was typical for these two to often end up in some sort of argument about one thing or another. Sometimes it was amusing, other times annoying. This was the latter.

But deciding to just let them work it out. Kopa just sat there turning his attention to the tree tops above. Watching some of the smaller creatures of the jungle move above on the higher branches of the trees. Ones where that were too delicate for even predators to climb and get them and allowed them safely to some small degree. They still had some of the birds that hunted.

Just sitting there, he felt boredom taking over at the sound of his two friends bickering. At the back of his mind something nagged at him. Like there was something that he was forgetting...

Kopa immediately dropped his head when he felt something touch his paw. And found himself staring into the brown eyes of his little brothers ghost. He was confused as to why the cub was there at first. Then it dawned on him. He hadn't heard any sound of the laughter of cubs for a little while now.

"Guys!" He snapped his head toward his friends who continued their argument. "GUYS!" He shouted loud enough it echoed and caught their attentions. They turned to him confused. Thinking at first he was just going to tell them off for arguing about such a thing as this. Those thoughts filtered from their mind when they caught the concerned look on his face.

Then the lion said something that made them both tense. "I cannot hear the cubs."

Snapping to attention, both began to look in multiple directions. Nuru jumping her way onto a rock and then up onto a low hanging branch proceeding to make her way up the tree in order to see if she could catch a glimpse of the two cubs from a higher advantage point.

Heart pounding in his chest. Kopa scanned the surrounding area's. His ears perked much like the other twos were to see if they could pick up any sound. Thinking maybe the cubs had just decided to play a game of hide and seek. Neither would have to be loud to play that game.

Then he remembered again and glanced downwards. Making sure the others did not catch him. Of course they could not see Musa. But all the same.

Did he come to tell him something was wrong?

As if hearing his thoughts. Musa gave a loud squeak and began to try and get his brother to follow him when the sounds of two screaming cubs reached their eyes.

"The cubs!" Kopa leaped over Amun not bothering to go around him while he darted in the direction the screams were coming from. Behind him he could hear Amun keeping up. Above him was the crashing sound of leaves and small branches and vines as Nuru darted her way through the winding branches of the jungle trees.

His heart was pounding so hard. Kopa wondered if it would give out. The fear he felt hearing those screams were then nothing like he heard. The sound of thunder. But there was no sign of a pending storm. And the way it echoed through the jungle was...different than every day thunder of a storm he had heard before. That only heightened his fear.

Cursing his luck. Cursing the timing.

More importantly cursing the fact that he failed to keep his eyes on the cubs and realize that they had gotten too far ahead of them. Seeing he thought about his own self earlier he scowled to himself that he had not taking his experience from when he was a cub to know sooner or later a cubs curiosity could get the better of them.

The sound of thunderous cracks were heard a few more times. The occasional scream sounding afterwards. This gave him hope that they were still alive.

It did not take them long to come upon the scene. A small clearing. But large enough they saw to fit some short of those things the man creatures got around in. Only this one was green rather than yellow and not as he expected it. But that did not matter. What mattered was what was happening before him.

And he felt both his heart stop and his blood boil. Across the small clearing he could see Lila and Jomo. Both alive, thankfully. His eyes then settled on the two legged hairless ape who appeared to to be looking around the clearing. Obviously for the cubs.

Kopa could see a faint mark on the creatures face. That looked suspiciously like claw marks. Shaking his head deciding that he had to do something first before he questioned anything. First of all he needed to get the creature away from the cubs. But what worried him was what the creature held in its hands.

He could only guess that was the notorous 'Thunder Stick'.

Thinking of the cubs first than himself. Kopa let out a roar to catch the creatures attention. He watched it turn toward him and he could see the obvious surprise upon its face. With it looking at him. He could clearly see it had a wound on its face. Tiny claw marks. Ones that looked like they came from a cub.

His eyes darted to Jomo and Lila and where they were hiding. Breathing a small sigh of relief when he saw Nuru had snuck over to them and was getting the cubs out of the hole they previously been hiding in and sneak them on off back into the jungle to be hidden among the many underbrush.

Snapping his attention back to the man. He let out a low rumbling growl. He made to advanced but paused when the creature raised that mysterious stick and pointed it in his general direction.

Kopa was not sure what to do. Kill the creature or run it off. Either way, he would need to figure out how not to get hurt by whatever that stick could do.

Out of the corner of his eyes he caught sight of Amun making his appearance and too gave a growl. Which made the man creature turn his attention to the leopard. The two watched as the creature kept moving the stick back and forth between the two of them. Obviously not sure what to do. There was two of them. And only one of it.

The two began to make a circle around the man creature so that it would need a wider area to swing back and forth that stick of theirs. Sooner or later they would not react to one or the other. Possibly giving them enough time to do what they needed to do to get ride of the creature. However way that may be.

Kopa took that chance when the creature tuned to focus on Amun who had roared to get its attention. Darting forward in a few long quick bounds. Kopa did not bother to make a sound as he pounced on the creature taking it down from behind. The stock of it all caused the creature to drop the stick that it was carrying.

The thing went off but by the ancestors it did not hit any one of them.

Kopa pinned the creature beneath him. Front paws upon its chest. Teeth bared Kopa stared down at the creature. And he paused when he saw something there. The creature was doing nothing to fight against him. Rather he could feel him shaking beneath his paws. And there it was...the smell of fear or was it more the smell that the creature had wet itself.

Then he saw it...the fear in the creatures eyes.

They stared up at him with complete panic that Kopa stopped barring his teeth. Not sure what was coming over him. He knew he should kill this creature. It was a something that had to be done to protect the pride. This creature and the others with it were threats to his family and friends. If it did not die it might lead others here. And then they would come with even more of them sticks and possibly kill them all before they had the chance to escape.

"Kopa...what are you waiting for?" Amun asked wondering why his friend was hesitating with the killing blow. These man creatures were far worst than hyenas and wild dogs in the leopards honest opinion. His claws unsheathed they dug into the dirt beneath his paws as he impatiently waited to see what his friend would do.

Kopa glanced at him. Watching his friend then looked back down at the quivering creature beneath him. He made to do something when he heard a familiar squeak. Looking up he saw standing nearby was Musa. Who was standing there watching him with wide eyes. Kopa wanted to tell him to go, he did not want his little brother to see this.

However with Amun close by. Kopa could not do anything. He tried pleading with his eyes but Musa only kept standing there.

Amun followed his friends gaze and saw that he was looking at absolutely nothing. Kopa was beginning to weird him out more and more with each passing day. Not that he cared too much. Well he did, but for his friends mental health than anything else. "Kopa?"

Kopa heard him but did not turn to look his way. He was too fixated on the little brown cub ghost that was standing not that far away with wide eyes and fear in them. Fear at what he would see his big brother do. While Musa was young when he died. He seemed to know that he was not quite alive. Kopa had pondered that before. But from the look in the cubs eyes.

Kopa had a feeling the cub was reliving the day he first felt pain. The day Zira killed him with her jaws.

The lions eyes then went upwards when he saw there in the tree line behind Musa. Was Jelani. Standing there patiently and watching him. Watching to see what he would do.

Shaking his head. Kopa looked back on down at the creature beneath him. Still trembling and smelling of its own urine that no doubt had been a result of his fear. Staring into the man creatures eyes one last time. Seeing that fear. Kopa then tore his gaze away and stepped back from the creature. Who took a deep breath now that he no longer had the weight of the lion on top of his chest pressing downward.

"Kopa...?" Amun looked at his friend shocked.

Watching whilst Kopa made his take over to the thunder stick. Eyeing it a moment. He then picked it up in his jaws and flung it as far away into the jungle to land lost among the ferns and bushes. "The creature is not worth our time." He said making his way in the general direction he had seen Nuru take Jomo and Lila.

"I'll kill us! It will bring more to us!" Amun snapped, shocked that his friend would let go of such a situation. They now knew without those sticks these creatures were defenseless and could be killed. They had to take this chance to send a message to these creatures.

Kopa only shook his head and looked back at him. "Then we are no better than them." He gave his friend a look. "And if we kill one of them...they are more likely to come after us than if we let them live and it goes to tell others." Kopa spoke logically. He was right. He knew he was. If they killed the man creature then he was positive it would bring trouble for them.

Trouble that he had rather avoided at this given time.

So giving his friend a look and making sure that Amun was following him. Kopa began making his way into the jungle once more. Soon disappearing among the thick brush. Bounding along side him once more as they made their way to check on the cubs was Musa.

Kopa wanted to check on them and then get them straight on back to the pride. Realising the cubs had made their way out of the territory without really realizing it. With the way they stuck close to him he could see this had made them once again feel fear from these creatures. Something that stirred something inside him. However he was not going back now.

He could only hope that this decision truly would not come back to bite him.


The night was dark. There wasn't really much light. Not even from the moon. And this was normally the best place to see it at night. On the cliff where the river became the waterfall. He could faintly hear the soft roaring echoing from below where the water crashed into the rocks below.

He blinked his gaze from the moonless sky. Where not even the stars were bright enough to light it. What caught his attention was the shifting of the body beside him.

Eyes softening, Kopa gazed down at Ishara who was nestled on the ground beside him. Raising his paw he let it rest on her head. Making her stir, but only a bit, then she fell back into her deep sleep. Mumbling a little bit. An endearing habit he thought...well to him it was strangely.

Watching her, his mind went back to what had happened earlier that day. With the cubs and the man creature. Kopa had not bothered to lecture the cubs. He had waited to get them home and let the lionesses handle that. He learned from his cubhood that lionesses tended to be more stricter and could put the fear of the ancestors in naughty cubs.

Only for so long though...he kept himself from snickering too loudly so that he wouldn't wake the sleeping lioness beside him.

As he expected, the pride had heard their roars and the sound of the thunder stick. Though had no idea what was going on or where it had come from.

The cubs ran straight for Tufa and Ishara who were happy to see the cubs were safe. That cooing though turned to lectures as soon as Kopa began to explain the situation to his Uncle the king on what had happened. The gasps that came from the pride he could still hear and he could still see their fearful faces.

Jaali had worked to get them to calm down. It had taken a good while. In the end the pride was settled.

Only Jaali asked what had happened to the creature when he got the rest to disperse. Amun had shot him a look about it before he had gone off to his usual sleeping tree to rest. Leaving Kopa to explain to the King why he had left the man creature live. Much to the young lions relief. Jaali had understood his reasoning. Congratualting the prince on the courage that he had shown when it came to facing it and saving the cubs.

Kopa did not think it was courage. He was only doing what he had thought was right.

Now to why he and Ishara were alone atop the waterfall under the free starfilled sky with no trees above. Kopa had been curious when Ishara had approached him that evening when he was speaking with Leta about to settle down for the night. She asked Leta if the lioness could watch Lila for the night. Which after looking back and forth between the two, Leta gave them a warm smile and agreed to watch the cub for the night.

It confused him. Made him wonder why Ishara wanted Leta to watch Lila for her. The girl hardly slept by anyone but him and Ishara. Then confused him more when Ishara insisted that he take a walk with her. He thought it was much too late. And with the danger that had lurked around that day he did not think it was wise for them to wander too far from the pride.

Leta however insisted that they go for that walk.

Kopa had only shot the lioness a look as she smiled at him and went on inside the den with Lila following along side her with the promises of stories that night from the older lioness. So with a grunt. He had followed Ishara off into the jungle.

What happened...

Kopa cleared his throat while he felt his cheek warm beneath his fur. He glanced again down at Ishara. Someone he did not think he would come to have feelings for or more importantly did not think she would have feelings for him. The two always rattled each others nerves. But then again Jaali always said that his father had done the same with his mother.

Shaking his head with a small amused smile. Kopa bent down to give Ishara a small nuzzle. Hearing her mumble a bit louder at being disturbed but she did not wake. Smilign down at her he turned his head when he felt the usual presence and there he was.

As always standing among the trees not that far from him.

Looking down at Ishara he carefully pulled away from her. Making sure she did not wake he made his way over to Jelani. "Come to tell me whether or not I should have killed that creature?" He eyed the guardian who only stood his head and leaned on his staff eyeing the lion.

"No." Jelani watched him. "It is not for me to make the decisions for you."

Kopa gave a grunt and scowled at him. "Right." He answered in a sarcastic tone.

Shaking his head, Jelani reached out and poked the lion between the eyes. "I can only can guide you. Not tell you what to do. I give suggestions. It is you to make the right or wrong choice. That is the blessing of the living. Choice." He gave another small shake of his head.

"However you made a good choice."

Kopa looked at him wondering why. Jelani catching the silent question answered. "He was not one of those that have come to the jungle to destroy and kill." He nodded watching the confusion come over the young lions face.

"What do you mean...he had one of them sticks and was shooting it." Kopa felt overly confused at the moment.

Jelani straightened and looked off into the distance beyond the waterfall. "He was not shooting at the cubs. But rather in the air. As if to try and spook them. He failed to drive them into the jungle like he had hoped. Not all Man is bad." He looked at Kopa who gave him a small scowl.

"It is true." Jelani told him with a pointed look. "In fact he had been resting when the cubs had come upon him. Jomo got brave and wanted to claw the creature for what man did to his mother. The man could have hurt him. But he didn't. They were young and small. Innocent. Too innocent to take the life of." He looked again back at the horizon.

"What was he doing in the jungle then?" Kopa demanded.

"Patrolling." Jelani looked at him. "Much like you. He protects." He again poked the lion between the eyes when Kopa shot him a look.

"Would you quit doing that!" Kopa swatted his hand away. Then realized he been too loud. Looking sheepishly back over his shoulder he breathed easier when he saw that Ishara was still mumbling away in her sleep.

Turning back to the guardian. Kopa scowled. "Explain."

"There are those who work to protect creatures like yourself. Not all man is bad. But there are plenty of them." Jelani explained. "He was coming through on patrol. It was why there was less animals around. They had seen him and fled thinking him to be danger." He straightened and looked Kopa in the eyes. "You made a right choice. But there will be other times Kopa."

Hanging his head. Kopa gave him a tired sigh. He knew that much. He was only happy he had made the right choice this time. It still confused him that the man creature was not associated with those that were destroying the jungle. Thinking that the threat still loomed out there made him slap his paw on the ground but say nothing about it.

He felt Jelani pat his head. But when he glanced back up. The guardian was nowhere in sight.

He hated that at times. How he could just disappear.

With much on his mind. Kopa dragged his paws back to Ishara's side. Laying himself down along side her. He laid his head over top of hers. Feeling her turned her head to enjoy the softness of his mane. Making him smile. If he had hesitations of his future before. He no longer did. Not with the new one he could build and the one he was going to protect.

With that thought on his mind. Kopa allowed the lull of sleep take him. Peace washing over him as he was not gong to let the danger looming destroy the peace he felt in his moment.


Depression. Intrusive thoughts. Terrible things to have and sadly I got it.

I would like to write more but often it gets in the way. Hoping if I start writing some more it'll work as a distraction from my troubles.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter.