It's about time I get started on the newest chapter of my most popular story. I know it may seem sad since this is also my newest story and I have four others but to be fair the couples in Lion King are more liked and clear by fans while the couples in anime shows can be liked by various people so it's hard to make a story that appeals to everyone. Using a Disney movie has made that so much easier! Anyway, I hope you guys will enjoy this and don't forget to review. But first my reviewer shout outs of course.
To Lila the Lioness – I know you gave me your review two chapters ago but guest reviews are always given to me later than others so I had no idea what it said and I deleted the e-mail that had your review on it (Reviews are sent to my e-mail). Anyway, I thank you for the support you gave me. And I just wanted to say I'm sorry but Vitani and Kopa's reunion won't be as heartfelt and touching as you might think. But please don't hate me because of that I just wanted to do something a little different.
To LITTLETIGER – Was your caps lock button stuck? Anyway I just wanted to say yes; of course they will have a happy ending. If they didn't then I would hate myself.
I hope you guys enjoy this chapter so get on to reading the real stuff already!
-X-
"Ugh, what is that awful stench?" said Hasani with his nose wrinkled in disgust.
"What stench?" asked Tamina.
"I think only a predator's sense of smell can detect it. But it doesn't smell awful…" Kopa sniffed the air. "Actually it kind of seems familiar to me"
"Wait a minute…An awful stench…Recognizable to a lion from the Pride Lands…It must be Pumbaa!" said Ma.
"Ma?" cried out an awfully familiar voice that could only belong to the infamous Timon.
About a few yards away they could just make out the silhouettes of a lioness and a warthog. As well as a small creature on top of the warthog, this was most likely a meerkat.
"Oh, Timmy!" said Ma as she hopped off of Kopa. She kept on running at a speed that could put a cheetah to shame. Soon she had closed the distance between herself and the silhouettes. She jumped onto the warthog and pulled the meerkat into a tight embrace.
"Gah…Ma…Choking…Not breathing" choked out Timon.
"Oh, sorry…It's just been so long since I've seen you" said Ma through her tears of pure joy.
"It's fine…" muttered Timon as she released her grip on him.
"Good to see you Ma!" greeted Pumbaa.
"Aw, and there's my favorite little warthog. Thank you so much for looking after my little Timmy" said Ma.
"Ma, I ain't that little anymore" complained Timon. "But it is good to see you"
"Timmy?" snorted Vitani.
"And who's this lovely lioness?" asked Ma.
"I know lionesses may all look the same to you but trust me, I'm not lovely" said Vitani. "Hi, I'm Vitani, you must be Timon's mother. Timmy's been telling me all about you for the last half mile or so"
"Well it's a pleasure to meet you Vitani"
Just then the rest of Ma's group reached them. Vitani narrowed her eyes at the two unfamiliar lions. Not because of automatic distrust, it was more like natural instinct to intimidate any possible foes.
"I see someone here isn't happy to see a couple of strangers" commented Hasani.
Kopa however appeared to be oblivious to the unfriendly glare he was given by the lioness. Instead he was looking at her with an expression that was in between surprise and curiosity. Vitani in return was oblivious to Kopa's gaze; instead she was more focused on his scars.
Kopa blinked twice to make sure his vision was right. He was almost positive this was the same lioness from his dream. The bangs were one thing but the rare blue eyes was what really caught his attention. The only thing different about this lioness from the one in his dream was the fact that the one in his dream was smiling, this one was frowning.
"Who are you and what business do you have with the Pridelands?" asked Vitani with authority.
"Oh, its fine, they're friendly. They escorted me here" said Ma.
"That may be but I still have to ask. I can't just let anyone here. It's my duty as a Pridelander to protect these lands and I plan on doing just that" said Vitani.
Hasani raised an eyebrow but didn't question the system. "My name is Hasani. I am from the Northern kingdom, otherwise known as the Lushlands. I am only a sightseer, here to see the magnificent lands known as the Eastern kingdom. If I am to be doubted then you may ask your king to send his majordomo, Zazu, to King Kanu of the Northern kingdom. He will vouch for me"
Kopa's expression registered another flash of surprise at hearing the name Zazu. It was that bird from his flashback.
"Alright, I believe you. What about you two? I don't believe that the meerkat is from the same colony as your traveling partner. And I've never seen a lion with such scars" said Vitani turning her attention to the Tamina and Kopa.
"Okay…I'm Tamina, I am a meerkat from the colony that resides near the Western kingdom, also known as the Coastlands. I am also known as their great protector. Like Hasani you may send your majordomo to King Malka if you doubt me. My reasons for coming onto the Pride Lands are solely for my traveling partner here" said Tamina indifferently.
"Then I must hear your partner's story" said Vitani. She turned her attention solely on Kopa and her eyes widened momentarily upon seeing his face. His face was undeniably Kopa's but it just wasn't possible. She took a deep breath before speaking. "What is your name?"
Vitani felt her heart beat faster and faster. It was as if time was frozen and she was just standing there, awaiting his answer. "My name is Kopa" Vitani's heart leapt. "At least I'm sure it is. I lost my memory at a young age so I don't know for sure. But recently I've been having dreams and short flashbacks that tell me that I am Kopa. And it is my belief that this was my homeland. Tamina was the one who raised me so she has every right to be here with me" explained Kopa.
Both Timon and Pumbaa were shocked by this revelation. Although not as much as Vitani. "You said you had lost your memory at a young age. How long ago was that?" asked Vitani.
"I'm not good with telling time but I was around nine and a half months old at the time. According to Tamina I had fallen from a cliff and she found me in an injured and damaged state" said Kopa.
"Do you remember how you received those scars?" asked Vitani.
"…It is a possibility that I was attacked by another lion…" admitted Kopa.
The small group remained silent for a long time before Vitani spoke up. "Yes…You are from the pride here but…I'm afraid I can't tell you more because if we are not certain of who you are then…"
"I understand…I don't want whoever that has a son named Kopa to feel sad again if it turns out that I'm not him. So if it helps I will stay anonymous for the time being" said Kopa.
'He's matured so much…' "Alright, I will lead you back to Pride Rock but you must allow me to speak to the king about your arrival. I don't want you speaking to him until I have" said Vitani after regaining her composure. She turned and began to lead them back to Pride Rock.
"What about our plans to go back to the oasis?" asked Pumbaa.
"Those plans have been cancelled buddy" said Timon.
"Yeah, I suppose you're right" nodded Pumbaa.
"Hey Vitani, are you sure about this? If this guy isn't Kopa and just some impostor then we would be in big trouble wouldn't we?" asked Timon in a hushed voice.
Vitani remained silent as if she was incapable of answering. "Vitani?" called Pumbaa.
Her head shot up and looked behind her. She looked at Kopa's face for a second before returning her gaze on Timon and Pumbaa. "I can never forget the face of the one I love. And I will never leave him either…" she answered
-X-
"You're definitely improving Kiara but are you sure you should be running at that pace while you're with baby?" asked Sierra.
The hunting party had just caught two zebras and an antelope for the pride. Since the two warring prides had merged they had to hunt a little more than usual in order to feed the extra mouths, but not enough to eradicate the population. Now Nala and a couple of other lionesses were hauling back the kill. Kiara, Sierra, and one of the older lionesses, Mateka, were ahead of them.
"I'm only a couple days pregnant Sierra. Not enough to render me unable to hunt" laughed Kiara.
"You have the same spirit as your mother. I remember when she was pregnant with you and still she didn't just stand by and watch us do the hunting. She would always jump in to assist us in some way" Mateka chuckled.
"It's too bad Vitani's going to be gone for a little while. She's our best huntress" Sierra remarked.
"Well we just have to do better in order to make up for it. And when she comes back she will most likely be hungry so let's greet her with a big meal!" said Kiara cheerfully.
Just then Kovu ran over to them. He appeared to be out of breath and it was clear he had run all the way from Pride Rock. "Kiara!"
"It's okay for me to be hunting Kovu. I'm not that pregnant" Kiara sighed.
No, it's Vitani. She's coming back and so is Timon and Pumbaa" said Kovu.
"What? But they just left this morning, why are they back?" asked Kiara.
"Simba and I saw her with two unfamiliar lions. We're presuming she's back because of them. He wants everyone back at Pride Rock just in case they're hostile" said Kovu.
"I'll go and tell the other hunters. You guys go on ahead" said Mateka.
With that Mateka turned and rushed back to meet Nala and the rest of the hunting party. The three younger lions all raced back to Pride Rock. Most likely the lionesses wouldn't just leave the kill so they'd still be hauling it back. But they'd probably send back a few of them just to be safe. Their presumptions were correct when they were soon joined by three others, the queen included. The other two were Kiara's cub hood friends, Kula and Tama.
The five of them reached Pride Rock in a short amount of time despite the distance in between the mighty rock and the hunting grounds. They stood near Simba who kept his eyes on the silhouettes coming closer to Pride Rock. Near the entrance of the den sat two male lions. One had a concerned expression while the other remained indifferent and bore three claw marks on his cheek. The prior was Afua and the latter was Jua. Zazu landed on Simba's shoulder and gave a grunt of distrust towards the unknown lions in the distance.
When they were a couple of yards away they could all make out the animals down below. Vitani, Timon, and Pumbaa were all part of this group of course. There was also Ma and another meerkat as well as the two unfamiliar lions like Kovu had mentioned. They were all shocked to see the horrific state of the younger of the two males. The scars that were all over his body was not a very common nor pleasant sight.
From here Vitani and the group stopped. She turned to the strangers and spoke to them. After that she ran up to Pride Rock alone. She reached the top and bowed to the royal family.
"Your majesties…There is something of the utmost urgency that I must speak to you about" said Vitani. "And I believe it best that we speak in private"
"I guess the ex-Outsider still distrusts us" Jua sneered.
"Jua, you will not disrespect Vitani's decisions. If she says it is urgent then we should do as she wants" said Simba.
"Thank you, your highness" bowed Vitani.
Jua narrowed his eyes on her as Afua led him inside the den. Kula and Tama followed soon after. Sierra walked in as well but not before giving Vitani a concerned expression.
"You may continue Vitani" said Nala.
"I know this may sound crazy but just hear me out" started Vitani. With that she explained everything that had happened after meeting up with Ma, Tamina, Kopa, and Hasani. When she told them of Kopa's identity the royal family all showed signs of surprise, disbelief, and shock.
"Vitani if this is some sort of joke then it isn't funny" said Simba sternly as he shook his head.
"It's not a joke sire, you and Nala go down there and tell me he isn't Kopa" said Vitani.
Nala ran to the edge of Pride Rock and squinted at the dark figures. Even from afar she could make out the scarred lion's face. She gasped in shock. "She's telling the truth! That's Kopa, it has to be!"
"But that's not possible. No cub could've fallen off that high of a cliff and survive" said Simba angrily. Instead of relief, which would've been the expected reaction, he was angry for some unknown reason.
"Father why are you so angry? If it's true that Kopa's down there then you should be happy" said Kiara.
"You don't understand…You weren't there when it happened…He just can't be…" Simba closed his eyes tight. Tears were escaping and it looked like he could break down at any second.
"Your majesty…I understand how you are feeling. After years of telling yourself that your son would never return…Your just denying the possibility that he is standing down there right at this moment" said Vitani.
Simba reopened his eyes and he stared at Vitani. It was then he noticed her pained expression. She was doing everything n her power not to cry. Not to believe what she has already seen. She was conflicted believing Kopa was gone and to find he was alive…It just felt unreal. And the fact that he hasn't returned until now strikes an anger chord but she and Simba both knew that he was not to blame.
"Yes, you are right Vitani, but how can we be sure that he is truly Kopa?" asked Simba.
"A mother never forgets her cub's face" said Nala.
"But there still exists the possibility that you're wrong" pointed out Zazu.
"That's why I think it is best not to tell him who he really is yet" said Vitani.
"What? But he can't just go around not knowing that he's the prince of the Pride Lands" said Kovu.
"I know but I think it'll only complicate things right now. Kopa is the prince, which we know is true, so that would mean revoking Kovu of his rights to be next in line for the title of king. But we don't know if he is truly Kopa and we also don't know if he is ready to be king. So we don't tell him his true identity and we just see what he remembers from being here. If he isn't Kopa then the only way to prove that is by seeing if his memories are Kopa's. Kopa's memories are his own. And with this we can test his patience and see what he is capable of, and that's how we learn what kind of king he could be" explained Vitani.
"But what do we say to him? What if he just goes back to the Western kingdom?" asked Kiara.
"We just need to tell him that it's a way of seeing what he remembers. And that when we see what he remembers will determine if he can meet his real parents" said Vitani.
"I'm not so sure about this" said Nala.
"We have to give it a try" said Simba. "What about the rest of you? What do you think?"
"I don't approve of it but I don't want to try to love my own brother if it turns out it's not really him" said Kiara.
"I'll go along with it as well. But something tells me that it won't turn out well" said Kovu.
"…Fine…But we have to tell the others that know who Kopa is about this plan or else they might recognize him" said Nala reluctantly.
"Then I'll go tell the rest of the hunting party" said Zazu and took off.
"And I'll tell Sierra and the others in the den" said Vitani.
"Then it's settled. We won't tell Kopa who we are…" Simba took a deep breath before turning towards the direction of his son. Kopa was completely in the dark to what they were conversing about. "Alright then…It's time to welcome my son back home"
-X-
Huh, that was a much shorter chapter than usual. Well that explains the speedy update at least. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this and I apologize to those of you who want Kopa to know the full truth already but this has to be done for my story to work. Don't worry, he'll remember everything soon, I hope. Don't forget to leave a review and also do not forget to not hate me because this story has to work this way. Next chapter will be posted soon…Or later…But definitely not never.