A/N: Haven't seen this story for a while...I got over my writers strike, but the school holidays are almost over, so it sucks. It might come back...
Disclaimer: I don't know the Lion king...you cannot sue me.
"You can not tell anyone…" Kopa muttered and Vitani nodded, as they padded up the stone steps.
"Opak…come here, please," Kiara called, and he nodded his head.
"My dad says you look familiar, but he can't place it. Is there something you haven't been telling us?" she asked as he wondered over
"Yes…there is something I haven't told you…and I don't wish to…not yet at least," he said, staring down at his little sister.
She narrowed her eyes and looked up scornfully up at him.
"What's your problem?" she asked
"You are my problem…get outta my sight," he said, suddenly annoyed.
"You can't talk to a princess like that!" she retorted and he turned his back on her, running down the steps.
She stared at him, an angry expression on his face.
"You okay Kiara?" Kovu asked, coming up behind her.
"Who does he think he is?" Kiara asked, staring at Kopa's retreating figure.
"What did he do?" he growled and crouched
"He isn't treating me like a princess…he's treating me like a sister…a little sister." She pouted
"I'll show him who's boss…" he bounded down the stone steps
Kovu watched him retreat until he stopped near a tree, then he bounded towards him from another angle. When he got closer, he stopped and waited a few minutes, crouching down beneath the blades of the grass. He crawled forward, growling softly, until he could see the lion grooming himself.
He pounced, and Kopa ducked, sending Kovu flying into a tree. Kovu sprang to his feet and growled, snarling and snapping at Kopa. He lunged forward, and Kopa merely stepped to the side.
"I do not wish to harm you…" Kopa said, but Kovu growled. "But if I have to…"
Kovu lunged again and Kopa sighed, sidestepping him once again. He started walking back to Pride Rock calmly, but keeping an eye on Kovu, who was stalking him from the grass.
When Kovu pounced, Kopa would always be one step ahead, until Kovu finally gave up, and started walking next to Kopa.
"What's your problem dude?" Kopa asked after a while
"You annoyed my girl…" he said, scowling
"Yeah…for a good reason too," he muttered, so Kovu couldn't hear. He made his voice louder. "Uh…how did Simba find the Pride Lands?"
"It wasn't Simba…it was his great-grandfather, Mohatu and his great-grandmother, Nia…" Kovu started.
"We cannot go further, my King…the cubs are tired and we are all starving...if we don't find a home soon, we shall die," Nia said weakly, gazing up at the dark sky.
"Don't say that...think of the cubs," he said, looking at her pregnant stomach, then turned to the rest of the pride. "Keep moving…when we get over this hill, we will rest, and continue in the morning"
Nia shook her head sadly and they plodded on. As they passed over the rise, they all stopped to catch their breath, and then lost it again, at the sight of the land beneath them. The grass shone greener than anything they'd ever seen, and trees spread randomly throughout the land. The sky seemed to stretch on forever, and Mohatu sighed in happiness.
"If there is nobody ruling, we shall rule this land . I shall go find someone. Alaki, Astanti, go find some food. Bring it to Nia, then spread it around." Mohatu said, galloping towards a large rock formation in the distance.
He galloped towards the large rock in the middle of the lands, hoping that nobody was there. When he stepped up the steps, he surveyed the land from higher up, and then entered the cave. He looked around, but there was nobody.
"Who are you?" a voice called, and Mohatu jumped, spinning around.
An old mandrill stood there, his apprentice, Rafiki, at his side.
"I am King Mohatu, from The Kingdom of Rising…if you would not mind, myself and my pride would be honoured, if we were able to reside here." Mohatu said and the mandrill smiled.
"How long have you been walking, your highness?" he asked
"Many moons now,"
"And you have not heard, about the legend, of the Pride Lands?" the mandrill asked
"No…what did happen."
"Something not very nice…you see, there once lived a king, Zanatos, and he was a good king…kind to all animals, a fair ruler, and he had two children…and these two children, grew up to kill their pride…They have not been seen since the incident. Animals say this den is haunted, for that is where Zanatos died…" he pointed to the den
Mohatu shuddered.
"And how long ago was this?" Mohatu asked
"Many years…at least seven,"
"And nobody has lived in these lands? Haunted or not…I will raise my children, and many generations to come." Mohatu said and the old mandrill smiled and nodded
"I like you…" the mandrill muttered
"I shall be back…my mate will be in labour soon." Mohatu said and galloped off.
"And…well…Nia had Adahi and Anaki…and…well…yeah." Kovu finished
"Wow…that's…interesting. Simba didn't tell me any stories like that…" Kopa muttered
"What? Simba…why would he…?" Kovu stopped walking, confused.
Kopa froze, mentally kicking himself in the head.
"Forget it…" he said
"No…what happened. Is there something you're not telling us Opak,"
"Did…did you ever hear about someone called Kopa?"
"Only all the time. He was all Tani talked about…she would tell me all about her, and her adventures with him and Tassel…well…until Tassel died…." He muttered and Kopa looked up at him angrily
"Don't talk about Tassel…" Kopa muttered
"How do you know him…?"
"I am him…" Kopa snarled, and then looked away
"Kopa?"
"I loved Tani…and then Tassel died in the stampede, and then your mother tried to murder me, and I ran away. I could never have returned…even after Zira was banished. Then Kiara came along, and I just…forgot. I didn't bother to even look back…I went all over the land…and then I came back…and I don't know why." Kopa said, suddenly feeling ashamed.
"You have to tell people…or I will," Kovu said, giving Kopa a look.
"No…Simba can never know…It'll kill him…"
"Wait here…I'm going to get someone…I wont tell anyone," Kovu said, and Kopa nodded uncertainly.
A few minutes later he came back , with a lioness in tow.
"This is Sarafina…Nala's mother." Kovu said
"Do you remember Kopa?" Kovu asked her
"Of course…when he died, Simba and Nala didn't get over it. It was terrible. They almost brought the kingdom to ruin. I'm surprised you didn't hear about it…" Sarafina said. "Even now, he still talks about him in his sleep."
Kopa looked down, feeling guilty.
"It must've been hard…loosing him." Kopa muttered and Sarafina nodded. "Did you ever find his body?"
"No…we searched the neighbouring kingdoms, and all over the Pride Lands….nobody had seen him…" Sarafina explained, and Kopa nodded.
"Well…I had better go…" Kopa said, looking away
"No! You can't…" Kovu snapped
"Tell them if you must…but I will be long gone," Kopa said, and started running.
Kovu chased him, and pounced, this time making contact. Kopa growled and retaliated, pinning him. Kovu bit his paw, then pushed him off, them both growling and snarling.
"Kovu!" Kiara yelled, and Kovu looked up, seeing Simba, Nala, Sarafina and Kiara running towards them.
Kovu turned his attention back to Kopa, who was now sitting calmly, with no intention to fight. He lunged forward, anticipating Kopa's sidestep and knocked him to the ground.
"Kovu, unhand him," Simba ordered, and Kovu stepped off him with reluctance.
"I think Opak has something to tell us…or should I say…Kopa!"