Hey everyone it's me. Sorry I was unable to get back online sooner but my internet was knocked out. But I have to thank all of you for the support. So my first hurricane experience was horrific. I had a black out (For the first two or three days) and my entire family had to resort to using alternative light sources. The first night with the storm was okay, the second, not so much. That was during the peak of the storm and I went to bed at like nine. By ten I came out hearing my maternal grandfather and saw that a window was knocked right out. Literally the curtains were flying out the glass that was supposed to be there. I went downstairs to get duct tape and the rest of my (Paternal grandparents, aunt, uncle, baby cousin, and little sister) family was down there. Apparently it had flooded down the street; you couldn't even walk down there without getting your feet soaked! The whole night was just insane! I had the whole week off from school but my internet was down for all that time (Except Friday)! Sucks right? And to make it worse, the cable was out too so I had no television time. That's it for my terrifying experience, now for my reviewer shout outs.
To Asante – Thanks so much for reading my story! And I'm glad you thought it was funny because comedy wasn't exactly my goal but it still feels good to hear that from someone.
To SNOWYleopardess – You're definitely right that I should calm down. But according to my sister I have a tendency to overreact. And in my case, go into a mass hysteria during my first natural disaster.
To lew leon – I actually wasn't thinking about making a back story to find out what fueled Zira's source of evil. But now that you mention it, it sounds like a good idea. Thanks and I'll be sure to make a small part dedicated to talking about the birth of evil Zira.
Again I'm sorry it took so long for me to update. But don't blame me; blame the weather at my location. I was at least able to type during this time but I neglected to do so at first so I wasn't able to get online as soon as expected. Oh, and I noticed that in Kopa's dream I accidentally mentioned Simba's name. Pretend I didn't for our sakes and purposes. Now I've held you up long enough.
-X-
"There it is!" exclaimed Ma suddenly.
"All I see is more wasteland…This cannot be the lush grassy place that Kamaria told us about" said Tamina.
"No actually she's right. See just little bit further there's some hints of grass. We've reached the border!" cheered Hasani.
"What about this barren wasteland? How is this part of the Eastern kingdom?" asked Kopa.
"These are the Outlands. The only area that has never recovered from Scar's reign" said Ma.
"Scar" whispered Kopa. The name sent this cold feeling down his spine. For some reason he didn't like the sound of it and hoped to never hear of it again. But looking at the Outlands and hearing the name Scar seemed to trigger something within the young lion.
-X-
"Hey…What's that darkened area over there? I don't see any grass. Is that part of our kingdom?" asked a young Kopa. He was pointing at a barren wasteland that could be seen from his viewpoint.
The same lion that had appeared in his dream was there beside him. He followed the cub's gaze to the wasteland and frowned at some memory. "That's a place that you shouldn't ever go. It's the only area in the Pride Lands that hasn't been recovered from Scar's reign. And I don't think it ever will" explained the lion.
"Oh…Well why can't I go there?" asked Kopa looking up at the large lion.
"Many rogues travel around there so it's best that the place be avoided" explained the lion vaguely.
Just then a blue bird landed in front of the two of them. Somewhere in Kopa's mind he knew that this bird was not food.
"What is it Zazu?" asked the lion.
"I'm afraid the monkeys are up to their old tricks again. There have been a number of complaints coming from the hippos, rhinos, and even the elephants" said the blue bird who was now classified as Zazu.
"Tell them I'll be right there. I'm sorry Kopa but I have to go" said the lion turning away from the bird taking off towards the cub.
"Aw, but you said you'd play with me today" whined Kopa.
"I'm sorry but you know the kingdom comes-"
"-before fun, I know"
"Very funny…I promise I'll play with you tomorrow" said the lion bringing Kopa into an embrace before running off in hot pursuit of Zazu.
Kopa sighed sadly and turned back towards the den. He slowly walked back inside and laid down next to a full grown lioness. She was sleeping at the moment and although the polite thing to do would've been to let her sleep, he sighed very loudly anyway, causing her to awaken.
"Kopa? What's wrong, I thought your…was going to play with you today" said the lioness. She had pretty blue eyes which was a rare eye color among lions. Although the lioness cub from his dream had the same eye color, maybe a deeper shade but it was close. Was this that cub's mother?
"He was but he had to bail. You know with his duties and all that" said Kopa.
"You know you're going to have to take over those duties one day" said the lioness.
"I know and I can't wait for that day but I don't want to neglect my own cub's feelings for the kingdom" said Kopa.
"Oh, thinking about cubs already are you?" teased the lioness.
"…! No, I didn't mean it like that!" said Kopa. Once again there was a word missing, most likely the name of this unknown lioness.
"I know, I was only teasing you"
"Well since…was unable to, will you play with me?"
"Hm, I do have a day off from hunting today…But I'm really tired so I have a better idea"
"A better idea?"
"I think it's time I introduce you to the other cubs here. This way you can have other playmates"
"The other cubs?"
The lioness nodded. "That's right; there are four others and one that's reaching adolescence. There are some others too but their all too young to play with"
"Okay! That sounds like fun! I've always wanted to know other cubs my age!" said Kopa excitedly.
"I thought you might" the lioness laughed lightheartedly.
-X-
"Yo, Simba!" called Tamina.
Kopa snapped out of his trance and noticed three pairs of eyes staring at him. "Oh sorry, I just dozed off for a moment there"
"Yeah, I noticed" said Tamina "So what's on your mind?"
"I'm not exactly sure myself. But one thing I do know for sure is that I'm definitely from here" said Kopa.
Tamina blinked in surprise but immediately covered it up with a smiling facade. "Well that's fantastic Simba!"
"Kopa"
"Huh?"
"Oh sorry Tammy but…I don't think Simba's my real name. It definitely sounds familiar and that might be because it's the king of these land's name but I don't want to be called that anymore. I think my name is Kopa. Plus it might be better since it might be confusing and awkward if you called 'Simba' and both me and the king answered" said Kopa.
"Kopa, I guess that could work" said Tamina but for some reason she seemed unsure of herself. The fact that he remembered his real name and didn't want to be called Simba anymore heightened the possibility of him staying here. It meant leaving their old home for this new one and she wasn't sure she could accept that.
While all of this new information was being processed through Tamina's mind, Ma and Hasani had other thoughts.
'Kopa…It couldn't be him could it?' wondered Ma. Come to think of it, there were a lot of similarities when it comes to appearance between Kopa and Simba. But to think he was still alive after all these years was surprising to her. It was just so hard to believe.
'Kopa, to think the king's son was still alive…' thought Hasani. He was just as surprised as Ma although maybe a little less. He had his suspicions at first but didn't want to say anything. Any lion that was close to a king from one of the four great kingdoms knew how Simba looked liked. And they also knew that his son was supposedly dead. Knowing the king of the Northern kingdom helped Hasani learn all this. He knew that the Pride Lands would rejoice in celebration when they found out.
"Why do all of you have such strange looks?" asked Kopa curiously.
"Nothing…Let's just keep going" muttered Tamina.
Kopa raised an eyebrow out of curiosity but decided not to press further. The small group continued their trek through the barren wasteland in silence.
-X-
"Neo, are you awake?" asked a gentle voice from outside the den. It was one of the many dens that was separated from Pride Rock.
The old lion wearily walked out of the den and yawned. He looked over at the beautiful young lioness and the even younger cub next to her. "Queen Nala and young prince Kopa, what brings you to my humble home?"
"I was hoping Kopa could meet Vitani. I went to Zira but she told me that she was with you" answered Nala.
"Really? That's odd, I've been asleep until you awoke me" said Neo but he turned around just in time to see a lioness cub pounce on him. She landed on his head and struggled to hang on but she was still laughing anyway.
Neo chuckled along as he knelt down and let Vitani off him. "Very funny my little 'Tani"
"Dad…I'm not that little anymore" laughed the young lioness. She was completely oblivious to the cub watching her from behind his mother.
"Oh I know…you're almost six months old now" Neo chuckled sarcastically.
"Yup!"
"Alright, that's enough for now. Look who came to see you"
Vitani turned to the queen and prince and bowed to them. "Good morning Queen Nala and Prince Kopa" she bowed formally.
"Good morning to you Vitani" smiled Nala. "And you already know my son Kopa but I wanted you to meet him in person"
"Hi, I'm Kopa, you must be 'Tani!" greeted Kopa cheerfully.
"It's Vitani. Only my dad calls me 'Tani, and sometimes my brother Nuka" said Vitani.
"Doesn't Nuka mean…" started Kopa.
"Smelly? Yes, yes it does. And to be honest it fits him perfectly" giggled Vitani.
"Vitani!" chided Neo.
"What? It's true you know. I don't think mother bathes him properly. He smells like that warthog that comes by sometimes" said Vitani.
"You mean Pumbaa?" clarified Kopa.
"You see! Bad names are very common!" said Vitani.
"I see" Neo chuckled. "But don't go around calling your brother 'Smelly'. Now why don't you go play with the prince? I'm sure the two of you will get along very well"
"But I wanted to play with you" complained Vitani.
"I'm sorry 'Tani but I'm way too tired right now. But trust me when I say you won't find a better playmate than Kopa" said Neo as he gave her an affectionate nuzzle. "I promise I'll play with you tomorrow"
"Okay…"
Neo went back into the den with a yawn and Nala left the two of them near the waterhole while she went to get the other cubs that she had spoken of. Vitani expected it to be silent between them but clearly Kopa had different plans.
"Wow, we seem to have a lot in common" said Kopa after his mother was out of their view.
"What do you mean?" asked Vitani.
"Well, we both wanted to play with our dads today but they both can't and they both promised to play with us tomorrow" explained Kopa.
"Yeah but your dad has a reason to not play. Mine is just tired…Sometimes I wonder if he really likes being around me" said Vitani sadly.
"Don't say that about your dad! I know him a little because sometimes when Timon and Pumbaa can't watch over me he does. Whenever we're together he's always talking about you and how he wants to play with you"
"Well why doesn't he?"
"He says it has something to do with your mom"
"Oh yeah…She does have this strange tendency to keep me away from others. And she's been teaching me how to hunt too"
"To hunt? But you're not even six months old. Why is she teaching you to hunt now?"
"She says it'll be a useful skill for something in the future"
"Oh…Okay then"
The two cubs were silent after that. Neither knew what to say so Kopa decided to break the silence once more.
"But you do know your dad loves you very much right?" asked Kopa.
"…Yeah…I do now…Thanks Kopa" smiled Vitani.
"No problem!" said Kopa and that's when it seemed as if he was looking at her for the first time. He was staring at her face and it was making her feel a little bit uncomfortable.
"Is there something on my face or something?" asked Vitani.
"No it's just that…You've got blue eyes like your dad" commented Kopa.
"So?"
"It's very rare and I sometimes I wish I had inherited that eye color from my mom. I think they're very pretty and they suit you well"
"You do? Huh, one of the other cubs said that it was a stupid color"
"Well then he's a stupid cub"
Vitani smiled and laughed. "I'm just glad you're a smart cub then"
"Thanks, you're pretty smart yourself"
Before anything else happened a sharp voice called out to them or more specifically, Vitani. "Vitani!"
Vitani winced and turned around to see a lioness in the distance along with another cub nearing adolescence. She definitely did not seem like a friendly animal and the cub certainly did not seem the like the brightest.
"Hi mom…" she said shyly.
"What are you doing here and with the prince of these lands?" asked Zira with a cold smile.
Kopa felt like hiding but instead he pretended to be brave and stood up straight. The cub next to Zira had a smug look when he saw Kopa. Clearly the prince had failed at trying not to look afraid of the lioness.
"I'm Kopa! Nice to meet you Vitani's mom!" said Kopa trying to be as cheerful as he had when greeting Vitani.
"Oh yes, very nice to meet you. It's always an honor being in the presence of a relative of the king" said Zira with false sincerity. "Vitani, it's time to go"
"But mom, I was going to play with Kopa today" complained Vitani.
"Don't talk back at me child! How many times must I tell you that!" snapped Zira.
Vitani cringed and turned to Kopa. "Sorry, I have to go. But I promise to play with you some other time"
"It's all right Vitani" said Kopa.
Vitani paused but then looked at him once more. "Call me 'Tani"
With that Vitani slowly followed Zira and the other cub back towards the direction of Neo's den. When they had finally reached it, Zira turned to her cubs.
"Nuka, Vitani, it's time for the two of you to go back to the main den. I'll meet you later. First I must have a little chat with your father" ordered Zira coldly as she walked into the den.
Vitani was going to obey her mother's orders when Nuka pulled her behind a couple of bushes that were growing near the mouth of the cave. It was close enough for them to hear their parents.
"Nuka, what are you doing?" grunted Vitani as she pulled herself out of her brother's grip.
Instead of answering her Nuka shushed her. "Don't you want to hear what mom and dad are going to be talking about?" he asked.
Now that Vitani thought about it, she was curious so she listened carefully hidden in the foliage without making a sound.
"Is something wrong Zira?" asked Neo from inside the cave.
"You were supposed to be watching Vitani! Why did you let her go off on her own!" shouted Zira.
"She wasn't on her own. She was with the queen and the prince"
"Don't make excuses! It's your duty as a father to be watching over her! If Scar were here he'd-"
"He'd what? Last I checked you needed me to get you a proper heir to the throne. And what did Scar want, a lion to follow in his footsteps but he doesn't treat his own children properly. He neglected his own son!"
Vitani noticed Nuka tense at hearing Scar's name.
"Who told you that I only wanted you for an heir? Scar's gone; the heir to the throne is Kopa. So why do you doubt that my feelings toward you were false?" asked Zira in a voice that was laced in honey.
"I don't doubt it, I know that they were false! I should have never left Zuri for you. I was a fool but I see clearly now" growled Neo.
Zira gave a sinister cackle. "Fine, you can run back to her for all I care! Fools should be together after all!"
"I won't leave Vitani"
There was a short pause before Zira continued. "I won't let you take her away. She is needed here. So I'll give you two options. One, you can stay loyal to me and do as I say. Or two, a week before my cub is born you will leave. If not then you can forget about living to see the morning light"
"What if I refuse either of the options and choose to live here? And what if I tell Simba what you plan on doing?" asked Neo.
"You won't do such a thing as long as you care about Vitani"
Another pause but this time Neo continued the conversation. "I will take the second choice. Vitani matters too much to me for her to see me become like you" growled Neo.
Vitani could almost see Zira's victorious smirk. Any lion hearing this story would ask why Neo didn't fight back. The truth was, was that Neo didn't have the heart to kill a mother. He just couldn't become a murderer.
-X-
"Wow, that's quite the story" commented Timon from his vantage point on top of Pumbaa.
"I always knew Neo was a strong lion but to think he left because of that. It's just so sad and he was a very good father" sniffed Pumbaa.
"He was wasn't he? I remembered all that after you guys told me his name" said Vitani.
The three of them were already walking in the direction of the Oasis. During this time Vitani was telling them the reason for her father's departure. She had somehow forgotten the reason all those years ago. She had chosen to suppress the memories of her father just as she had with Kopa. But now those memories were back. And she would cherish them until the end of time.
-X-
Sorry it took so long but some new chapters were added to these stories I've been reading so I had to catch up. But now I am officially back! I hope none of you are still around to continue reading this story. I hoped you all enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I did writing it. Don't forget to leave a review and I'll see you all next time!