Chapter Six The Outsiders
Zira has given birth to twin cubs, Vitani and Kovu. They are the offspring of a rogue lion. Kovu seems especially strong. Nala gives birth to boy and girl twins Kopa and Kiara. Kiara is the wild one and Timon seems to get along with her. Kopa is my boy. From the time, this young one opened his eyes, he has become my special charge. He is going to be a big boy. Simba is especially proud of him. Kopa is protective of his little sister and he is very responsible. He likes to go on patrol with his father. He wants to learn how to be a king. He is smart and he posseses brute strength. Simba often tells everyone that Kopa reminds him of his father Mufasa. Kopa is really close to me. The two of us try to keep Kiara out of is kind like I am. He likes Timon but seems to prefer me because I am calmer. Kiara prefers Timon because he is more excitable and daring like she is. So when we babysit the two of them Kiara sticks with Timon and Kopa sticks with me. We teach them both how to belch and eat grubs. Kopa seems more willing to learn because he feels it is important to know all food sources. I feel great. I loved Simba but he was always a bit closer to Timon. Kopa is more like my kid than Simba was. I love Simba and Kiara both, but Kopa is the only animal who has a close special relationship with me other than Timon. He listens to what I say and tells me I am smarter than Timon in some ways and that Timon should listen to me. He shares the lessons he is learning from Zazu and Simba. He often asks me about Hakuna matata. I tell him it is great to have no worries but you have to do your responsibilities. There has to be a balance between the two.I love taking care of Kopa. Timon sometimes watches Kopa and I watch Kiara. Kiara is smart too but she reminds me so much of Simba. She chases butterflies and wants to go to the elephant graveyard. Timon and I bring her back when she tries to sneak off there. All of the lionesses and the other animals love Kopa. He is kind and decent to everyone.
When I get up in the morning I often accompany Kopa to the watering hole. He and I go up there every morning together unless Simba takes Kopa out on patrol. One morning I get up at my usual time to meet Kopa but he is not on top of Pride Rock. I get a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach that something bad has happened. I go into the lionesses' den but Kopa is nowhere to be found. I go back to my den but he is not there. I finally go to the watering hole and I hear the scream of a young lion cub. I run as fast as my small legs will carry me. Zira is at the watering hole and she is standing over the body of Kopa. I run and knock her down. She swipes at me with her claws. I hear another roar and Simba shows up. While he is fighting Zira and arguing with her, I go over to my little cub. But there is nothing to be done. Kopa is dead. He is covered with bloody gashes. Simba passes judgement right away. He is furious at Zira. I want to kill her but Simba realizes she has cubs and they need their mother. He banishes Zira, her cubs, and her followers to the Outlands. Zira killed Kopa because she believed Simba killed Scar and she wanted to punish him. Poor Simba is devastated at the loss of his son but I am so heartbroken I cannot comfort Simba. Timon comforts both Simba and Nala. He tells both of them they have another cub to raise and she is supposed to be queen. Timon even says the two of us will watch her more carefully. I feel really bad. Am I responsible for Kopa's death? I cannot even talk to Simba for awhile and I get deeply depressed. Timon gets mad at me and tells me to snap out of it, that we both have to look after Kiara. I agree with him. He is right. But there is a big hole in my heart that will never close. I am really not as good with children as I thought I was. Kiara and Simba both are close to Timon and I wonder if they even think about me at all.
Simba is frantic when Kiara goes missing one day. Timon and I go out and try to find her but Simba spots her first. She is playing with a cute brown male lion cub who has the most startling green eyes. They are about to play tag when Simba steps in front of Kiara and roars at the cub. Then Zira steps in front of the brown cub. Simba , Zira and Nala say each other's names. Zira comes close to us. Timon says! "Timon! Pumbaa! Now that we know each other, get out of our Pridelands!" I try to look fierce which is not impossible since I am boiling mad when ever I think of Zira. She comes close to us and I get ready to attack. She looks at Timon and screams at him"Your Pridelands?! These lands belong to Scar!" Her breath is on my face but I do not flinch. I would love to gore her with my tusks. Timon hides in my hair after she roars at him. But Simba tells her he banished her to the Outlands along with her cub. She tells us that her cub's name is Kovu and he is Scar's heir. I remember him now. He was born about the same time as Kopa and Kiara. I look at the beautiful male cub. He does not seem imposing. I almost wish I could kill Zira and take the cub away from her. He would be better off in the Pridelands. She pushes her cub to Simba to see if Simba will punish the youngster for trespassing. Now is Simba's opportunity to have a male heir but he does not take it and he is too nice to kill the cub. He gives Zira a surprised look and tells her to take her cub and get out of the Pridelands. Both Zira and Simba pick up their offspring and head for home. Simba carries Kiara in his mouth by the nape of her neck. I go along with him and the other lionesses. Nala tells him to be gentle. I leave Simba to lecture Kiara. I hope he lays down the law to her. I could not bear to lose another cub.
Luckily Kiara survives her childhood but raising her has changed Simba and I forever. I constantly watch her to the point of being almost annoying. She talks to Timon about me hovering over her and I have to scale back on following her around. Simba is even worse. He will barely let her do anything. He is so paranoid about losing her. She has to stay in sight of Pride Rock at all times and she can never leave without an escort. Nala steps in and tries to give her daughter some freedom. Nala even takes her to her old home so Kiara can get away from her father for a few days. I feel sorry for Simba and I sympathize with him. The loss of Kopa makes Kiara's life more precious to us. Kiara grows up and she is ready to go on her first hunt. Simba promises her to let her hunt on her own but Simba does not keep that promise. His daughter is grown up and even I can see that. He should keep his promise to her but he does not . He tells Timon and I to make sure she does not get hurt. We follow her for awhile but she spots us and and she is so angry at Simba for sending us after her she goes to the Outlands. Then a fire starts and Kovu rescues her. Luckily. Simba is not angry at us but he does not like being indebted to Kovu. Simba decides to let Kovu stay in the pridelands for awhile on a trial basis.
The next day we spend some time with Kovu and Kiara. Kovu and Kiara chase birds away so we can eat bugs. We run for awhile and have to hide from some rhinos chasing us. It is wonderful though. Kovu does not seem like a vicious outsider. He and Kiara are having a good time and falling in love. I can see that Kovu has a good heart. I hope Simba can accept him. I feel bad that Simba cannot trust anyone and seems always suspicious. Simba seems so serious nowadays. He is so involved with his kingdom and his daughter. He hardly wants to do any Hakuna Matata activities anymore. And now is really not the time to do them anyway.
I hope Simba can accept Kovu. When we wake up the next morning everything seems fine. Kiara tells Timon and I that her father and Kovu are having a serious talk. She also says that Simba invited Kovu to sleep in the den with the seems wonderful. I love the fact that Kiara and Kovu are falling in love. They remind me so much of Simba and Nala. But we begin to get anxious. Simba and Kovu are gone for a long time. Simba usually goes on patrol. Nala tells us to look for Simba and she tells Kiara to accompany us. Suddenly we see Simba exhausted , injured,and limping. Kovu is nowhere to be found. Kiara tells Zazu to go for help.
Timon and I are very concerned for our boy. I really wonder who injured Simba. It cannot possibly be Kovu. I know Kovu has a good heart. When we come up to Simba, Timon says"What happened, Simba? Talk to me!' Simba can barely talk. Kiara is next to him He whispers " Kovu, Ambush" and then collapses. I quickly put him on my back and Timon picks up Simba's tail. "We're here for you buddy, " he soothes as I carry Simba to Pride once I am glad I can help my boy. Simba rests while Rafiki takes a look at him but he insists on staying outside. Then Kovu shows up. Timon wants to hit him but then wants me to hold him insists that he had nothing to do with the ambush and asks for Simba's forgiveness. But Simba sends him into exile and the other animals drive him away from the Pridelands. Kiara insists her father change his mind. But he tells her that she will stay at Pride Rock away from Kovu. He tells her that Kovu used her to get to him. Kiara is not to be deterred. She tells Simba that Kovu loves her. Simba insists that Kovu is following in Scar's pawprints and that he must follow in his father's. Kiara tells Simba that he will never be Mufasa. Simba looks hurt and anguished. I feel bad for him. Later on. I decide to talk to Simba myself. I meet with him at the top of Pride Rock.
Somehow I know Kovu is telling the truth. He had nothing to do with the ambush."Simba," I tell my boy. "Maybe there is something to what Kiara says. Kovu seems like a nice kid. Did he actually plan this ambush? Where was he when it occurred? And Kiara seems to trust Kovu. Maybe she knows him better than you do."
Simba gets really angry at me. "Pumbaa, you are so naive you are unbelievable. You want my daughter to trust that evil rogue? You understand nothing! You think all animals are good and they are not. You are too nice and other animals take advantage of you. You were always kind of dumb in the ways of the jungle. You are lucky. Timon is around. At least he understands how bad life can be and how we need to protect ourselves. I might listen to him tell me this but because you are so stupid, I refuse to listen to you. Now get out of here before I exile you myself!"
I almost cry. Now I know the truth. My boy never wanted me around. I was just there because of Timon. I am so upset I do not realize Kiara has disappeared again until later that night when it starts raining. Timon manages to tell Simba Kiara is gone. I can barely speak to Simba anyway. After that we battle the Outsiders. Timon is the one who leads me through the battle. I can barely go on but somewhow I manage. I am proud of Kiara and Kovu and how they try to stop Zira and Simba from fighting each other. Of course Zira attacks Simba, get stopped by Kiara and ends up falling in the river to her death. I am so proud of Kiara for persuading her father to make the prides one. I even tell her how brave she is. I stay away from Simba today. I don't go to him unless Timon is around. It is great when we all go back to Pride Rock and Rafiki waves his stick over Kiara and Kovu. We will celebrate their wedding next week.
Not long after this Sarabi died. I really felt sorry for Simba now. Sarabi had been hunting and was kicked to death by a Cape Buffalo. Both Simba and I tried to talk Sarabi out of hunting because of her age but she still insisted on hunting and fighting. We buried Sarabi but Simba became more depressed. He would often go on long patrols with only Timon and Zazu for company. I did not go with them because I felt I was not needed.
I feel kind of bad right now. Simba has forgotten what he said to me the day of the Battle of the Outsiders. Outwardly, things are still the same. I laugh and joke with Simba and Timon. We even go to the jungle oasis with Kovu and Kiara for a vacation. Simba comes along too. I still cannot forget that my boy thinks I am stupid and naive. Timon spends time alone with Simba but I don't. In fact I try to spend more time by myself so I can give them their space. I should have realized that they were close and needed to spend time together. I am never alone with Simba. We drift further and further apart but I guess it has to be that way. The two of them barely notice me and I pretend everything is the same but it will never be since I know the truth. Simba seems more happy that his daughter is settled so he does not notice that I am concealing my unhappiness and hurt. Kiara notices.
"What's wrong, Pumbaa? You do not seem very happy around my father, anymore. You stay away from him and Timon, both."
"Kiara, Simba always was closer toTimon than me. I am just giving them their space. They deserve that. I don't want them to become tired of me."
"They are close to you, Pumbaa. They would never tire of you. You are a great guy. And you are smart too. Sometimes I get mad at Timon for taking credit for your ideas and you should tell him not to. You are too nice."
"Yeah, well both of them think I am too naive and trusting. They are right. I am lucky to have them around. They show me the way of the jungle which I do not know."
"Pumbaa, did my father say something to you about being too naive and trusting? He can sometimes be critical."
"He did once Kiara, but he was right. I am too naive and trusting. Just don't worry about it! I will try to be around them a little more!"
"I'll talk to my father. He should not have hurt your feelings!"
"I am fine, Kiara! Please don't do that.! Your father is busy being king and all!"
"Okay, but my offer still stands if you ever want me to talk to him.!"
I tell Kiara no and continue brooding about my relationship with Simba although I make sure I spend more time with Timon and him and make everything appear normal. The kingdom seems to be peaceful. What I did not know is that the Pridelands would be facing their greatest crisis and I would be forced to be in Simba's prescense more than I wanted to be because I would have to go into battle once more.