Chapter 16
It was already dark when Kumai made it back to Pride Rock, moving around to the back of pride rock, she lifted her head a small grin tugging at the corners of her mouth when she caught sight of Vitani bounding her way over to her. "Whoa, there young one! What's got you so wound up?" she asked when the cub reached her, laying her head upon the cubs head as Vitani breathed deep to catch her breath.
"It's mama…"
"What about her?" Kumai furrowed her brow. Although she had a feeling she already knew, when she arrived she could see Asma was not in her spot anymore. Zira must have learned of her missing…
"She's mad…she…"
"No need to say anything more…" stepping around the cub, the lioness began making her way toward their den where she could see Kovu and Nuka sitting outside with tired looks but obviously they didn't want to enter the cave with their mother at the moment. If Zira was this angry, obviously she had sent someone to the watering hole to find her which of course they wouldn't have.
Grinning at the two male cubs, she passed them and made her way into the den stopping to take a moment to assess the situation inside. She could see her sister Hawa in the corner of the cave; the young lioness had barely said few words or went near Zira since she had struck her months prior. Scattered amongst the rest of the cave the others all sat cautiously watching Zira as she paced.
However the lioness stopped when she spotted Kumai had returned, a deepening scowl tugged at her lips exposing her teeth. "Kumai! Where have you been? You dare have Asma lie to me about your whereabouts?" she growled approaching the lioness that didn't back down instead stood her ground.
Casting a look at Asma, who just shook her head to indicate she hasn't said a word about Binti. Now, it was up to Kumai to decide whether she should lie or not. Though, if she lied, and Zira found out why, she was completely sure it would cost her. Her eyes flickered toward her sister, she wasn't about to let Zira get to her again.
Sighing, she knew what she had to do…as much as she hated it…and knew she'd hate herself for it. But she had too…
"Well!" Zira snapped at her causing Kumai to flinch.
"I followed that lioness Binti…out toward the Eastern borders…she was carrying food with her. Much too big for just herself…" she started; closing her eyes she sighed and continued. "I followed her to the rock formations; it appears there are some secret caves there, though only noticeable upon closer inspection. But I saw the old one slip on inside, the area is littered with their scents, all of them…even the Queen and Prince's…all new scents. And the Queen and Prince's was the one that were the heaviest…it appears the Pride has moved them into hiding there…and from what I've heard they had become suspicious of you, Zira…" Keeping her eyes downward, Kumai stepped back when she heard Zira growl.
The others braced themselves for Zira's rage but what they weren't expecting was the former Queen to start laughing.
"Oh, this is perfect!" Zira smirked as she turned away from Kumai and made her way towards the back of the cave, the others moving to get out of her way. Baya made sure to keep the three cubs out of the wave, the last thing they needed what their mother was planning.
"So far away from the Pride…what a perfect idea…" Zira turned toward her lionesses, "How strong are the other scents there?"
"Weak…it seems they bring them food and leave shortly after…and space out visits…but Binti is staying there for a day or two…" Kumai continued to explain.
"She does not matter; we can take her down as well. That old lioness would not have the strength to stop us and neither will that outsider, she is too far into her pregnancy to have any strength at all to defend herself against the lot of us…and while she lays there, I'll tear those bastard cubs from her womb and rip them apart myself! And she'll die watching her cubs suffering!"
The lionesses stared at Zira with wide eyes when she described what she would do, many of them felt their last meal coming up and going back down. Yes, they knew the plan involved the killing of cubs, but to kill them in such a brutal way by ripping them out of their mother while she was still alive was….
Monstrous.
Sharing a look, Dotty stepped forward, "Zira…wou…wouldn't it be better…to wait until she gives birth…she may die as you…as you take the cubs out…wouldn't it be better to…have her actually be alive…to witness their deaths?" she stumbled on her words, the images of the plan Zira had just talked about made flashing in her mind which she resisted the urge to shudder.
Turning toward Dotty, her eyes narrowed. "You dare to question my methods?"
"No…no, of course not Zira…but like I said…she could die before you kill the cubs…wouldn't it be more painful to be alive and watch them die?" Dotty swallowed hard as she said those words, it was almost too painful to say. Just the thought of killing cubs and being responsible for it made her sick to her stomach, but she knew there was nothing they could do. They owed Zira their lives…as well as if they defied her; they knew Zira would kill them herself.
Spotty stepped forward to back her sister "She's right…what's more painful to a mother, then being helpless while watching her cubs die and she not being able to do anything about it? Let her feel the same pain you felt as you watched Scar die…" she knew that had done it as she watched Zira's eyes widen and a painful look come over her face before it vanished as fast as it had appeared, replaced once again with a look of malicious.
"You're right…yes, what a more perfect plan…and then when that Usurper King arrives…oh the looks on his face to see his precious mate and cubs ripped away from him…oh, our revenge shall be done and Kovu shall be the new King!" Zira laughed maliciously.
"Now we just have to wait till she gives birth…only a matter of time…and then we shall attack…" turning, Zira called her cubs into the cave. The lionesses stepped aside as all three came bounding in and over to their mother.
Kumai suddenly felt like she should have kept her mouth shut. Making her way over to her sister, she laid down beside her. Hawa noticing the look on her elder sister's face, turned her head and nuzzled her, "It won't be your fault Kumai…you had too…" she whispered.
Looking her sweet sister in the eye, Kumai sighed and nodded, "Doesn't make me feel any less guilty Hawa…" laying her head down on her paws she watched as Zira got her cubs ready for the night, how a mother could do such things to another and their cubs confused her. But she knew what the price would be if they didn't follow.
And she didn't want her sister's death hanging over her head.
"Wow, dad actually did that!"
Kopa was sprawled across his back in between his mother and Binti, the cub was too full of energy since he ate dinner and without being able to really run it off. He had began pestering the two lionesses that was until Binti had suggested that perhaps the young Prince would love to hear some stories from before he was born.
Both lionesses participated and when they reached stories about his parents, the prince became even more interested in it. And with a grin, both lionesses began telling stories they knew about the King, Binti telling stories about how the young prince was before he ran away from the Pridelands and Zuri sharing more stories about her and Simba and that from the their time in the Jungle with her home pride.
Chuckling, Zuri nodded, "Yes…your father and Uncle Jaali were quite the troublemakers…well your father would say that I was too…but actually most of the time it was just him and Jaali…and their favourite target was me. Once your father said they couldn't do it to anyone else because the older lionesses and my Uncle would bite their heads off. Which would have been true if they were to try!" she laid slightly on her side, with her paws crossed in front of her.
She had just finished telling her son, the tale of when Simba and her cousin had dug a hole in her favourite resting spot and had covered it up to trick her. It had taken her some time to get the mud out of her fur that day. "Your father was quite a prankster…"
"Then why do I get in trouble when I do things?" Kopa asked rolling onto his stomach he stared at his mother.
"Just because we were…troublemakers…" she could not hide the fact that she was once one, she did cause trouble from time to time. "Doesn't mean, we'd raise you to be one and let you get away with it young cub!" leaning forward she pressed her nose against her son's and smiled at him.
Licking his mother's nose, Kopa said when she leaned back "I wish I could meet Uncle Jaali, he seems so cool!"
Eye's saddening, Zuri nodded, "I know my son, and I wish you could meet him as well. Maybe one day you will, you know you look so much like him, well only your eyes are your fathers. You have a good mixture of the Pridelanders and Rasheda's in you." she brushed some of her sons growing tuft out of his face, the light brown was darkening she saw and was fur it would be even darker as he got older.
"That would be so cool!" Yawning, Kopa crawled toward his mother and laid across her front paws, tucking his face into her fur. Zuri blinked, it had been so long since Kopa curled into her paws, but she smiled nonetheless and licked the top of his head. How, she loved her little cub, she could not imagine what she does without him.
Go insane, more like it.
She watched as Kopa yawned one more time as he started to slip off to sleep.
"He's truly like his father…" Binti smiled.
"I think he's like all the lions before him," Zuri whispered, she could see her son would grow up to be a great King one day. Along side his friends and siblings, he would never be alone, even when she and Simba and the others all passed on.
Her thoughts were disrupted when she cringed in pain; she could feel the cubs moving more inside her. Her discomfort was caught by Binti who stood and made her way over and examined the young Queen, "You are close…very close…" laying her paw on the Queen's stomach she pushed down lightly, it was something her mother had done with her to determine how many cubs she would bear one day.
"Well there certainly is more then one cub in there…they are squirming too much to be able to tell exactly how many," it could be two; it could be three or more. But Binti could not be sure the paws kicked too much.
"As long as they're healthy, I could really care how many there were…well as long as it's not so many I want to pull my fur out while chasing after them. Kopa at that age was a handful enough…well he still is, but five cubs at that age together…must be a nightmare!" Zuri laughed softly so not to wake her sleeping son.
"There was once a lioness that had six cubs," Binti mentioned as she moved back to the spot she had claimed and lay back down carefully, careful of her old bones.
"That must have been painful to deliver; did all six cubs make it?" Zuri asked, she knew the more cubs there were, there was sometimes a tendency that some would eventually not make it past their first year. Especially if there wasn't good hunting that year or if they fell ill.
"Sadly no, we had a drought that year. Only two managed to survive, we lost a few cubs actually. I was just a little older then Sarabi was, I was lucky not to have gotten pregnant that season or else I may have lost mine was well. Though I'm surprised we managed to have Nuka, Vitani and Kovu survive the longest brought we ever had when Scar was reign. Nuka, especially. He was such a tiny thing. Though healthy when born, but he became so malnourished as the months went on…" Binti sighed.
"Well, life has returned to the Pridelands and so has Nuka's health. He'll be a strapping young lion one day." Zuri smiled, whether he stayed with the pride and helped protect it with Kopa and Kovu or he and Kovu left to find their own pride and start their own families they would both be strapping young lions.
"Let's hope they're nothing like their parents!" Binti sighed while she licked her paw and began to groom herself a bit.
Thinking for a moment, Zuri shook her head, "I highly doubt they will be anything like their parents. I spent so much time with those cubs, and they're the sweetest cubs I've ever met and they're Kopa's best friends…" looking down, Zuri nuzzled her sleeping son.
"Scar wasn't like that either…actually Scar wasn't his real name…" Binti whispered sadly. "His real name was Taka…and he was…much like Nuka, a tiny thing when he was born. We all thought he wouldn't survive, Uru, his mother had given birth early…she didn't leave those caves for days…we had to bring food to her. She couldn't leave taka…or more like she wouldn't leave him. But he survived…and he grew and he was so sweet…such a happy cub. But as he got order he started to…change!" crossing her paws in front of her, Binti looked off to the side deep in thought as she remembered back to when she was growing into adulthood. She was three years older then the others. But she was friends with them anyways.
"What changed?" Zuri asked.
Sighing, the old lioness looked back at the young Queen. "Scar was the youngest of the royals…Mufasa was to be King…and so Ahadi spent a majority of his time teaching his son once he got old enough the ways of ruling the Kingdom. Taka was left with the pride, I could see how much he wanted to join his father and big brother, but he was left with us. He became friends with Sarabi and Sarafina…I would watch them all, to make sure they were alright and didn't get in trouble. Like I said he was such a sweet, sweet cub. But as he got older…I could see that Taka started to scorn the fact that Ahadi seemed to pay more attention to Mufasa…it wasn't on purpose. Ahadi loved those boys, both of them equally. He was a proud Father. One day…Taka decided to…well we only know the aftermath…it was during the drought I just mentioned to you…
"But it was a terrible accident with some water buffaloes. It caused his scar…and ever since then he requested that everyone call him Scar…it didn't hook for a while then eventually it did. For he would attack anyone who called him Taka…all but his mother. Uru, to the day she died, called him Taka. I was there when she died…she even whispered his name…he hadn't come to her when we called for him…for he wasn't at pride rock at the time. But that day when he found out…what was left of Taka inside him, died the day Uru did…" closing her eyes, Binti shook her head.
"He could have been…such a great lion…but hatred and jealousy got the better of him…"
Smiling sadly, Zuri adjusted Kopa in her arms and reached over and patted Binti's paw. "Did you…?"
"Oh no, I didn't feel for him that way. It's like you and the cubs here…I looked after him, when he felt like he was being picked on…I comforted him," laying her head down on her paws, the old lioness sighed. "But it doesn't matter…what matters is that people can change…even when you thought you knew them they can surprise you!"
Staring at the old lioness, Zuri drifted off into her thoughts with a worrisome look on her face. Could it be possible? Could the sweet cubs she knew now…become something like their parents? She thought. No, not if I have anything to say about it! She nodded; she wouldn't let anything happen to those cubs. No matter how Zira raised them, she would also take part in raising them like she did when she taught them along side Kopa.
She would make sure those cubs became the best that they could be.
With that, she laid her head down next to Kopa who shifted in her paws and laid his head upon hers and she smiled. This may not be how she expected to raise her cubs, but the Pridelands was still a beautiful place and she was happy to raise her cubs in such a place where they could thrive.
Closing her eyes, she drifted off into a dream filled sleep.
To keep the Pridelanders from getting suspicious, Zira had her lionesses go and spy on the main den once again the next morning. "Let them continue to think we do not know the truth. Do not follow them anymore, we cannot afford them to catch our scents within that area or they may move them again!" she had said while she sent her cubs out of the den as well.
She didn't need them to find out. She knew them all too well, they may be her cubs but they were also loyal to the outsider Queen and that prince. She needed them out of the cave while she made her plans on how to kill the outsider and her cubs, they could always slip inside the caves and do it quick and simple…but, ah, that would be too easy, she thought.
Much too easy.
She wanted the fun of watching them try and defend themselves while knowing there would be no escape. To watch them suffer. To have that outsider watch as her beloved cubs died before her, while she could only watch and cry as they died crying out for their mother to save them.
Yes, they would suffer. They would suffer for you my beloved Scar. And when the outsider and her cubs are gone…then I will find a way to get rid of Simba. And then Kovu will take his rightful place as King, just like you wanted.
She would make it so. And then her revenge would be complete. Simba would suffer the same pain she did at loosing her mate, only he would also suffer the loss of his precious cubs as well. And then as he grieved she would take him down as well. Yes, the plan was finally perfect.
She just needed a way to lure the prince and Queen from the caves, but she was sure she knew just how to do that, she thought as she turned her head and stared after her cubs as they left the cave to go play for the day. Yes, they would play their part in this as well.
Vitani looked over her shoulder as they walked away from their den, spotting their mother looking after them.
"Vitani, hurry up!"
"Coming!" turning around, Vitani picked up the pace to catch up with her brothers as they made their way around Pride Rock. For days, they couldn't play with Kopa, every time they went to see him, his father and the others would say that he was sick and that the Queen was on cave rest.
And every time they've tried to ask if they could go in to just see them, they were denied.
The three cubs stopped and peered around the edge of the rocks staring toward the main den. Lounging outside, Nala, Sarafina and Sarabi were resting in the morning sun enjoying the warmth before the sun reached midday and the heat would be too much to lay out in it.
"I don't see Kopa…" Said Kovu.
"He can't still be sick, can he?" Vitani furrowed her brow. "It's been a week…do you think it could be bad?" she whispered.
Ears twitching, Nala lifted her head lazily from where she had it resting on her mothers back and stared off in the direction she could see the cubs. Once they were spotted they ducked behind the rocks again, chuckling inwardly, she climbed to her paws and stretched letting out a yawn. Stepping around her mother and Sarabi quietly so not to disturb them she made her way toward where the cubs were hidden.
"If, you wish to hide, you should be quieter!" she told them rounding the corner she looked down at them as they stared up at Nala sheepishly. "Have you come for Kopa?"
"Yes…is he better now? Can he come out and play?" Kovu asked, stepping closer to Nala. The young lioness stared down at the brown cub, his green eyes bearing up at her, how much this cub resembled Scar. It was still questioned among the Pridelanders whether or not Kovu was actually Scar's son or not. Though he resembled the former King so much it was hard to think he was another lion's son…
"Miss Nala?"
Coming out of her thoughts, Nala turned her head to look at Nuka who had spoken up this time. "Well…is he?"
"Unfortunately not, he's still rather sick. I'm sure, once he feels better he will come and find you," Nala answered looking over her shoulder to the East for a moment then focused back on the cubs.
"How about Queen Zuri? Has she had her new cubs yet? Is there a girl cub?" Vitani asked eagerly. She was really hoping for another girl cub to play with, she was always surrounded by boys.
Shaking her head, Nala grinned and answered "No, she hasn't given birth yet…" not that they would really know, she added to herself, "But it should be anytime now and I'm sure there will be a little princess that you can play with Vitani."
"Cool!"
"Ugh! More girls. Who'd want more girls?" Nuka rolled his eyes.
"I would!"
"Yeah, well you're a girl 'Tani, of course you would!" Kovu teased looking smugly to their sister who stuck her tongue at them.
"Now boys, it would be nice to have a little princess or perhaps Princesses to run around here. It's been a long time since…" Nala stopped, when she saw Vitani open her mouth to say something but quickly corrected herself, "Well it's not often we have a Princess. And it may be nice. Plus, more girls mean a stronger pride to continue on."
"But girls are yuck!" Kovu scrunched up his face.
"Well, you won't be thinking that in the future young lion when you find yourself a mate!" Nala smirked.
"Not me, I won't ever mate. I'll be a lone lion. Strong and proud. With no yucky girls!" Nuka proclaimed holding his head high but not for long as Nala grabbed the cub and brought him close and started to lick his face all over causing the young cub to squirm. "Ewwwwww!"
Laughing, Nala released him, "It's not so bad to have a girl liking you Nuka," she watched as he rubbed his face endlessly with his paw while muttering under his breath.
"But whatever the cubs will be, you three will have more friends to play with…" she supposed, if the threat with Zira was handled and Zuri came home with the cubs, would these three cubs before her still be there? She looked down at them, Zira could always be banished but Zuri would never let these cubs up out into the world and leave the only home they knew.
But question was…would these cubs be willing to stay behind while their mother left? Nala wondered. She would have followed her mother anywhere. Cubs loved their mothers and Nala knew these three loved theirs despite how she might treat them from time to time.
Although she didn't trust the cubs before, she came to, and though she hated their parents she knew she didn't want to see anything happen to these cubs. They were too innocent. Nothing like their parents. And if the Great Kings were good, these cubs wouldn't loose that innocence that set them apart from their parents.
"Can we at least go inside?" asked Vitani, "We really miss them."
It was true. All three cubs not only missed playing with their friend, they missed the company of the Queen as well. They loved when she spent time with them, showed them things, and played with them. It was something their mother never did, which at times they felt was wrong. Nuka especially would find himself often getting jealous of the attention that Zuri laid upon Kopa.
It was that attention he missed from his mother. Before Kovu was born and his father had died. But he still did his best to get as much of her attention as he could. He had expressed his concern to Zuri many times, in which the Queen would reassure him that there was nothing that could stop Zira from loving him. He was her son. That a mother could never hate her cubs.
"They miss you too, but it wouldn't be wise. You may catch what Kopa has and then you'd be sick as well. Now we can't have that now can we?" Nala grinned.
Sighing, the cubs slumped their shoulders, "Ok…" they started to leave when Nala suggested.
"How about I take you out into the grasslands, I can teach you a few of the things that Zuri might not have about hunting?" she watched as the cubs looked at each other before they smiled and nodded. "Alright, let's go!" she said turning she began making her way down pride rock with the cubs bounding after her, heading out into the grasslands where Nala was sure they could find some small prey for the three cubs to practice with. Deciding she might make it into a game to keep them entertained something that Zuri would do with them she was sure.
Down by the watering hole, Simba stretched his limbs as he refreshed himself with a morning drink. He had yet to stumble across Zazu, meaning the hornbill had left before the King had awakened and was out flying about to get whatever he could to report to him with. Lifting his head, he stared off in the direction of the East.
He only seen his family the other day and he already missed them. He missed waking up to them. Missed nuzzling his mate in the morning before he headed on out, he missed being asked constantly by his son whether he could come out into the lands to help him patrol. Kopa was so much like him when he was young before his father had died, he'd always been so eager to go out and patrol with him.
He knew soon, he'd have to bring Kopa out to train him on how to defend the pride and his lands and he knew he'd have to do the same with Nuka and Kovu. Just like Mansa had done with him when he trained him along side Jaali…
Jaali.
Simba turned his head and stared off into the distance, he missed his friend, and he knew his mate missed her cousin as well. Actually, he missed a lot of them; he wondered how they were doing without Mansa. How Jaali was handling being King. He wondered how Leta was doing…
He missed the old lioness. He owed her a lot. She been the one to carry him in from the desert and convinced Mansa to let him stay in the pride. He survived because of her, and the others that had found him. He wondered how she was doing right now; with the loss of her mate…she had two daughters to continue raising. They hadn't heard from one another for some time, he often wanted to send Zazu to the Rasheda's and he thought perhaps he would do the same after the cubs were born much like he had with the announcement of Kopa's birth. But he wondered if the old bird could handle a second journey?
He then wondered if he could take Zuri, and Kopa and a few others out to the Jungle. It would be a few days trip but it would be nice to return even for a short visit and the Rasheda's would get to know the cubs.
Yes, perhaps after the cubs were born and they were a few months old, and everything was safe…and whatever threat it was to his family was handled; they would go and visit the Rasheda's.
Smiling, at the thought, he turned his head when he heard the flapping of wings and watched as Zazu flew over head, circled around landing softly on a nearby rock.
"Anything to report?" Asked Simba, making his way over to him.
"Yes sire, there seems to be some new herds moving in from the west sire, Elephants to be exact. They bring news of wild fires to the west. But they don't seem to be spreading this way!" Zazu picked at his feathers, ruffling them before facing Simba.
Turning his head westward, Simba furrowed his brow, "To be safe, we'll keep an ear out from herds and such. The birds especially might have word on whether they come this way."
"Yes, sire…is there anything else you need of me?" the major-domo asked.
"When you're done your sky patrol, I need you to go and check on the Queen and Prince this evening. Binti has stayed with them the night before and should be staying another night, but Zuri seems to have been in pain the other night and close to giving birth…she might do so within the night or tomorrow and I want you to keep an eye out for that!" Simba stated. He wanted to know immediately when his cubs were being born and Zazu was the quickest way of knowing. For the sooner he knew, the sooner he could have zazu report to Rafiki and Simba himself could get to the caves for the birth of his new cubs.
Ruffling his feathers, the hornbill nodded his head, "Of course sire, I shall look in on her majesty and the young prince this evening," he waited until Simba dismissed him before taking to the air once more. First to give word to the herds about the wild fires to the west and for the birds to keep an eye on it and whatever ones that may come from that direction.
Watching the hornbill fly off, Simba turned and began to make his normal patrol, heading toward the Western borders first to check to see if any of the wild fire smoke could be seen as well as see to this new elephant herd that had just migrated. The herds always travelled and never stayed long in to much of a place and he found it upon himself to greet them.
Plus to hear word on from other prides that they may have crossed.
"Come on, Binti!" Kopa jumped on the spot as he waited for the old lioness. His mother had given Binti permission to take Kopa out of the caves but the lioness was to take him to the other side of the rock formations to play. In the part that wasn't part of the Pridelands. Though the cub would have loved to have gone to see his friends, he thought how often it would be that he got to see another land other than the Pridelands.
"Hold on young Prince," Binti was helping Zuri back from the small watering hold in the cave and helped the queen lay down. Since she had woken up, Zuri had felt a great amount of sharp pains and she knew it would be soon before she gave birth but she knew the cubs weren't ready just yet to come out.
"Now, you be careful Kopa and you listen to Binti!" Zuri looked toward her son with a stern look. "Do not run off from her like you had the last time during the hunt."
Lowering his ears, Kopa nodded "Yes, mom. Don't worry I'll behave myself." Bounding over to her., he nudged her head with hers and licked her nose as she smiled at him, and she lifted her head to nuzzle him and nipped at his ear a little causing the young cub to laugh.
"Come Kopa; let's leave your mother to rest!" Binti turned and headed deeper into the cave, she knew one of the few back exits that many others didn't. She knew of it for the reason in case they needed to escape the Pridelands and not to be caught crossing the borders by the hyenas. She often wished she had told Sarafina of it, for maybe if she did, said lioness could have escaped with her cubs and gotten away and perhaps Mheetu would still be alive.
Giving his mother one last nudge, he bounded after the old lioness with an eager look on his face, he never been outside the Pridelands before and he was eager. "Stick close to me, and don't lag behind or you might get lost!" Binti instructed the cub casting a look back at him with a look that said to listen to her.
Nodding, Kopa paced himself behind her making sure to stick close not really wanting to get lost. He looked back at his mother before they disappeared from sight into the caves; he saw some of the cave that he explored himself before they moved on deeper into the caves that his mother wouldn't have allowed him to explore on his own.
At times they had to go slow, to allow Binti to squeeze through openings that were a bit tight for her but enough to still get through. Then she would wait for Kopa to come through and they would continue on. They walked for what seemed like 30 minutes when Binti looked upward.
"There!"
Stopping, Kopa turned his head upwards to see an opening above them. "Huh? But how are we suppose to get up there Binti?" he asked looking at the lioness.
"We climb, of course" Binti moved over to some rocks and bounded up onto them. "Come here!" she waited until Kopa came over and reached down with her paw and scooped him up onto the rock with her. Then sitting on her hind legs she pushed him onto the rocks above them and then hooked them with her paws and struggling she pulled herself up.
Taking just a moment to catch her breath before she stood on her hind legs she grabbed onto the top of the hole above. "Climb!"
"Wh…what?"
"Climb, come on, get on my back and climb up."
Chewing on his lip, Kopa wasn't so sure of this but then started to slowly climb, being careful of when he got to her head and kept his claws in so not to hurt the old lioness and then finally he was out. He stopped for a moment to stare into the Eastern lands in awe, and then he turned and helped Binti through the opening.
Taking a moment to relax, and catch her breath, Binti stretched her limbs and smiled at the cub. "Ah, now that was the easy part, getting back in will be more difficult!" she chuckled as she passed him and looked for a safe way to descend from the rocks. Finding it, she turned and picked Kopa up by his scruff as best she could just to be safe and carried him on down, jumping from rock to rock. When she reached the ground she dumped the cub in the tall grass.
"Oaf!" Kopa rolled in the grass, landing on his back. "Hey that wasn't fair!"
Chuckling, Binti passed on by him, "Relax young cub, you made a soft landing," she smiled at him and waited for him to climb to his paws before they continued on. She moved carefully through the grass, the Eastern lands belonged to the mashariki pride. They were not enemies, in fact during the time of Ahadi and Mufasa they had been an ally pride since they settled in the east.
But during the reign of Scar, there hadn't been much word from them. Since the hyenas had come to the Pridelands the mashariki's had avoided the land like it was the plague. She could not blame them; the stories that must have come from the herds that had moved on were stories of death. Binti herself was part mashariki her mother had moved to the Pridelands from the east after meeting her father. But when Binti was two years old, he died of sickness.
"Are there any lions out here Binti?" Kopa asked bounding along side the lioness.
"Yes, out here lives the mashariki pride Kopa, the pride my mother came from before she moved upon mating my father. It's one of the reasons I know that way through the caves, it was a shortcut to where the pride had lived for a while they moved away from this part when Scar was king. My mother use to bring me to visit her sisters, and play with the other cubs while I was young." Binti smiled as she remembered the memories from her cub hood. Where the pride was at the moment she wasn't exactly sure of, she hadn't seen them since before Simba's birth years ago.
She was sure her son had gone this way; he had left the pride shortly before Simba had been born. How she missed him and often wondered what he was up too. How many cubs did he have? She knew she may never see him again but that was often the pride of having a male cub, when they left to start out on their own it was rare to come across them again.
"You think they're close by?" asked Kopa, looking forward to hopefully playing with some cubs. They may not be his own friends but some other lions might be nice to see.
Thinking for a moment, Binti wasn't completely sure but it wouldn't be a bad idea. If the young Prince could make some allies from the mashariki's it may be good for the pride later on. "We can try and see!" she responded making her way through the grass keeping her nose up she smelled the air to see if there was any scents of lions in the area. There wasn't but there was a faint scent on the breeze.
Stepping out of the large grass, she looked around before calling Kopa to join her. The cub looked around eagerly. Chuckling, Binti caught the faint scent again and followed it, "We haven't found them yet young Prince. But we will, come this way!" she picked up the pace, with Kopa bounding along behind her keeping Binti within his view not wanting to get lost and get in trouble with his parents. If he did, there is no telling how long he'd be grounded for this time, he thought.
Binti kept her eyes on alert, just because the pride had been friendly before didn't mean they still were and then there was the threat of rogue lions that could attack her and Kopa.
It wasn't long when she finally caught onto scents of other lions and from the many scents they were of the pride. "Stick close Kopa!" she whispered slowing her pace so the prince could walk along side her, they were traveling with the wind and she was sure it wouldn't be long before the Easterners noticed them.
And she was right, for some moments later a roar echoed over the Eastern lands as two large lions approached them. Judging by the look of the two lions they were brothers and obviously the two in charge of this pride now, it wasn't uncommon for some prides to have more then one ruler, or one was in charge and the second brother was second in command.
Stopping, Binti motioned for Kopa to get under her and stood above him protectively as the group stopped in front of him.
"Who are you and why do you trespass on our lands?" the lion to the left said. Both were tan in colour, with golden manes but their eyes were of different shades. The left's eyes were a deep blue while the left was dark drown in colour.
"And where are you from?" asked the one on the right.
Kopa peeked out from under Binti and stared at the two lions. He hadn't ever seen other grown lions other then his father…and well the spirits he saw months ago…but at times now he thought they were an illusion. Just like those strange two legged creatures he seen before. He thought their manes were so funny, he never seen a lion with such a light coloured mane.
The one on the left looked down at Kopa who ducked under Binti again, "Your son?"
"No," Binti answered, she held her ground. "I am Binti, from the Pridelands!" she watched surprise come over their faces. "And this is Prince Kopa…son of King Simba and Queen Zuri."
"So it's true…the Pridelands have been restored to a new power…" the one on the right looked at his brother before stepping forward, "I am King Jozi, this is my brother and second in command Khal. What brings you Pridelanders to mashariki land? Is there a problem?"
Binti thought for a moment, she knew she couldn't mention the threat in front of Kopa. She shook her head, "No, I am in charge of the Prince for the day and I thought it may be wise for him to meet another Pride for when he becomes King…Kopa you do not need hide!" Binti stepped to the side and nudged the prince forward.
Nervous for a moment, Kopa stepped forward and held his head high. Khal snorted and smirked, "This ones a mighty prince alright."
"And I'm going to be a mighty King one day too!" Kopa smirked holding his head even high squaring his paws on the ground.
"That you will…" Jozi walked forward and ruffled the top of Kopa's head making the Prince duck away. "Has your father started training you yet?"
Shoulder's slumping; Kopa shook her head "No. My mom and I are in hiding...from a threat no one will tell me about…" he glared over his shoulder at Binti who sighed and shook her head. "That's not for you to know young Prince, but things will be well in time hopefully after your mother gives birth."
"What is this threat against your Queen?' asked Khal
"It is not something I can speak about in front of the cub," Binti commented causing Kopa to complain but a look from her had him become quiet once more. The two blonde mane lions stared at each other nodding their heads; they knew things sometimes were not best said in front of cubs.
"Perhaps Prince Kopa here would enjoy meeting the cubs?" Jozi suggested, grinning when he saw the young prince's face light up at the thought of being able to play with some more cubs. Maybe if he made friends he could come and see them from time to time or they could visit the Pridelands and play with him and his friends. He would have to speak to his father first about it.
"They're with the others, come, we'll take you there, they are not far!" turning the two lions made their way toward where the pride stayed. They reached the top of a hill that over looked where the pride was resting, Kopa eyes landing the cubs that were running around. "Wow…there's so many!" all the cubs seemed of different ages but there was at least six of them, more then there were in his pride.
"Come, I'll introduce you to my daughter," Khal grinned making his way down the slop toward the pride, there was only one lioness resting in the shade, for the others had gone out to hunt. Kopa looked toward Binti who nodded her head, "Go play Kopa!"
With a large grin, Kopa bounded on down the hill after Khal toward the cubs that had stopped their running around when they had spotted Khal return and was not alone.
Sitting at the top of the hill, Binti watched with a small grin before Jozi asked her, "So what is this threat?" he asked.
Looking unsure of what to say, Binti opened her mouth but shut it again. "Ah, I understand. Mashariki's and the Pridelands haven't been allies since the time of Mufasa and our late King, my grandfather, Kono…many of those have moved on, and when the hyenas took over the Pridelands the pride split the older ones left to get as far away from the Pridelands as possible and away from the hyenas. My brother and I decided to stay here and started our own pride with our mates and a few others," Jozi explained.
"Our other brother is probably now leading the other part of us…hasn't seen them in a while…you look familiar though…"
"That's because I came from here, well my mother anyways. I visited while I grew up. But after Simba was born, I didn't visit as often…I wish I had…but the Pridelands are my home and they are my pride and always will be. It's why I am looking after the young prince right now as his mother rests…they're in hiding from a threat that comes from within our pride…"
"Within…who would want to kill…?"
"The mate of our late king. Our new king let her live at the will of his mate, for his had three cubs. One just a few days old at that. Our new Queen has a good heart, and she has come to love those cubs as much as she loves her own. She teaches them, watches out for them, it would break her heart for anything to happen to those three is they were to be banished out of the pride with their mother. It's why she has not told the King of the threat…"
Furrowing his brow, Jozi knew this was really none of his concern, he had heard of the things that Scar had done. It wasn't new; there had been herds from the Pridelands that came through their land spreading word of what was going on over there. From their own lands they could see how the lands had dried up, although it seemed rain fell for them, nothing crossed over into the Pridelands.
"Cursed…the land is cursed…"
His mother had said. And indeed it had seemed that way. Even more so when they had gotten word of Scar's defeat and the Pridelands seemed to return to their former glory. "So why have you crossed your borders with the Prince?"
"He was getting edgy in the caves we hid them in. The Queen is due to give birth at any time…so she is resting for the time being. It is not safe to play in the Pridelands without them being found, so I snuck him over here to play for a while…but we shouldn't be long. I should get back to check on his mother!" Binti explained as she looked down the hill and smiled while she watched Kopa down below with the cubs.
Kopa trailed behind Khal as they made their way down the hill, stopping when he watched the cubs come running toward them when they noticed their approach. One cub broke from the rest and hurried toward them faster, the she-cub was yellowish with a creamy underbelly. Her light green eyes lit up at the sight of Khal.
"Daddy!"
Chuckling, Khal bent to nuzzle his daughter as she reached him and rubbed her body against his legs. "Have you been a good girl Nadia?" he licked the top of her head and grinned.
"I'm always good…who's that daddy?" Nadia looked around her father's legs at Kopa who stood a little ways back from Khal.
"This is Prince Kopa, he's from the Pridelands, and he's come to play with you…"looking back at the young Prince, he grinned. "You don't have to be afraid Kopa, they don't bite!" he chortled as Nadia ducked around him and padded toward Kopa with a large grin on her face.
"Hi! I'm Nadia, are you going to be a new friend?" she asked eagerly. There were lots of cubs in their Pride but she still liked meeting new friends.
Kopa stared at the she-cub. This was the first time he was meeting another female cub other than Vitani, and he could see there were several other female cubs in this pride as the rest of the cubs came forward to meet him. "Y…Yes…" he answered Nadia's question, blinking when large grins came over all the cubs faces as they cheered and all pounced on him at once.
"Whoa!"
Khal let out a roar of laughter which was joined by the lioness near by resting on the tree that had woken to the sound of the cubs. She was brownish in colour, but Kopa noticed she wasn't as dark in the fur as his mother was. She was cradling a sleeping cub in her paws that looked no older then a few weeks.
Jozi made his way down the hill with Binti making his way over toward the lioness and nuzzled her. Kopa took this that the lioness must be the lions mate.
"Get as much play time as you can Kopa, we need to get back to your mother shortly!" Binti started as she stopped beside the cubs, who groaned that they might have a short time in playing with their new friend. "Perhaps we can talk to your father about letting you visit or they visit…" Binti added which made the cubs cheer again. She was sure; Simba wouldn't mind rebuilding the old alliance.
Plus perhaps by building an alliance, it would show Zira that there would be more to keep Zuri and Kopa safe. By having a nearby pride that helped them it would be easy to get the royals across the bordered to safety if Zira was bold enough to attack. And hopefully it might stop her…or cause her followers to see common sense; she had seen how some had congratulated Zuri on bearing cubs again. Maybe there was some hope…she thought silently, I hope, she added.
Kopa wasted no time in jumping to his paws and grinning, he poked Nadia, "Tag!" he laughed jumping over her and two other cubs and began running away.
"Hey!" Nadia giggled and ran after Kopa as the other cubs scattered to avoid being tagged, their laughter filled the area. Binti smiled as she watched, she was sure Zuri would be happy to hear that her son had fun for the first time in days. Looking over her shoulder toward the direction of the Pridelands she had to wonder how the Queen was doing and hoped she was fairing well…
Zuri smiled as she watched the two disappear deeper into the caves, when they were out of her sight, she cringed and took a deep breath. She had a feeling that today was the day the cubs would be coming. The pains seemed to be increasing by the hour, but they weren't ready to come out just yet, she had similar pains with Kopa.
"Almost time my darlings," she nuzzled her stomach and smiled when she felt a kick from inside. "I can't wait to meet you…I wonder how many of you little ones there are…" she didn't mind how many cubs there could be, unlike with that story Binti told of the six cubs and only two surviving she was sure these would. The Pridelands were flourishing and there were plenty of food, she would have enough to provide milk and after that there would be enough for the cubs when they could eat meat.
She only hoped her nightmares didn't become true…
No, she wouldn't allow them too. She wasn't going to let Zira lay a single paw on her cubs. She would tear her apart, her self if she had too, it that's what it took to protect her young. She sighed, she hated thinking such things but she couldn't afford to have her cubs die…it would tear her apart inside if that happened.
She looked at the left over's from the day before, that she left herself for the morning and reached over and slid them toward her and started eating. She needed her strength to bare the cubs and she wouldn't take her chances. When she finished what was left over from the night before, she yawned and laid her head down on her paws after giving them a good clean.
It would do her some good to get a nap in. Without worrying about Kopa who she was sure Binti would keep safe for the time being, she could get in a few hours at the most unless the cubs inside her said otherwise…or her nightmares. She found it strange that the night before she hadn't had one. When she seemed to have them every night now. Not that she was complaining, it was such a peaceful night with her cub sleeping in her paws. All that was missing was her mate beside her.
Sighing, she shifted her body to get comfortable on the grass she used for the bed in the cave and made the cave floor a bit more comfortable. Cringing again from the pain in her lower body, and sighed, "Hurry up cubs…" she whispered closing her eyes to try and get as much sleep as she could.
The young Queen didn't know how long she been asleep, she would awaken for a few seconds every time she felt a strong sense of pain but then slip off back to sleep once again. However, she started to stir when she heard the familiar sound of flapping wings and lifted her head just in time to see Zazu fly on in.
She smiled at the major-domo as he landed and gave a sweeping bow. "My Queen, the king has asked me to come check on you and…" he looked around confused when he could not see Binti or Kopa and looked questioning at the Queen who chuckled at his confused look.
"Don't worry Zazu, they're just fine, Binti took the prince exploring so I may rest in peace without much noise…" she winced as she pushed herself up on her paws so that she was sitting. As she did this she realized how much strength she had to use in order to do so.
"How…how is everything in the Pridelands Zazu?" she asked, every now and again she liked to hear about what was going on in the kingdom, she was Queen, she had the right to know and also liked to know if there were anything she could do. Plus, it gave her something to know what was going on outside the cave that Simba never spoke about with her.
"A new herd of elephants have arrived, and they brought news of wild fires to the West. The King has asked me to keep an eye on that through the traveling birds. So far the fires don't seem to be heading this way your majesty, so be rest assured. And I'm sure the rains will come and settle it soon!" Zazu reached out and patted the queen's leg with his wing.
He gave the Queen a look over, she looked worse each time he saw her, her eyes especially he had to wonder what was wrong with her. But she didn't seem to be loosing weight, she was eating fine, every lioness that brought food reported that she didn't skip any meals.
Smiling, Zuri nodded her head, a new elephant herd was nothing new, and they tended to migrate whenever they pleased much like other herds. There were those who lived all the time in the Pridelands and then those who migrated. The largest migrations were normally during the rainy seasons.
"Well report to Simba that…" Zuri stopped talking when she felt a great wave of pain and laid her paw against her stomach as she took a deep sharp breath. "Oh…" she moaned in pain.
"My Queen!"
"The cubs….oh…." Zuri quickly moved to where there was more dry grass in the cave and laid herself down as best she could as she cringed in pain. "Binti…Oh…Zazu, you got to go find Binti for me…"
"But…the caves…I can't…"
"She took Kopa into…oh…the eastern lands…to play…please…go find her…!" Zuri cringed gasping in pain. "Please Zazu!"
Panicking, the hornbill flapped his wings, "A…at…once my Queen!" turning he flapped as hard as he could to leave the cave and take off to the East in hopes he could find Binti in time.
"Hurry!" Zuri shouted after him as she curled up in pain. "Hurry Zazu…" she whispered, she didn't deliver Kopa alone and she didn't want to deliver these cubs alone. The pain she was feeling, worse then when she cave birth to Kopa was a bad sign to her.
Kopa laughed as he chased after one of the male cubs, Leo he came to learn was the cubs name, the game of tag seemed to go on and on as each cub ran from the one who was it. The four adults that were with them say laid in the shade of the tree watching the cubs as they ran about and played. Kopa couldn't remember the last time he had so much fun and was beginning to miss his friends even more, though happy that he seemed to have met some new ones.
"Gotcha!" he cried as he pounced and landed on Leo with a triumphant smirk on his face. "You're it!" he claimed bounding away as the other cub climbed to his paws and started giving chase before he decided to chase another as the cubs scattered again.
Looking around, Kopa looked for a place to hide and ran for a large boulder. Climbing onto it, he slid down the other side and took in deep breathes as he tried to catch his breath from all the running he'd been doing. He couldn't wait to get back and tell his mother…although not too quickly he was having too much fun.
Pressing up against the rock, Kopa peered around to see Leo had already tagged another cub, a she-cub by the name of Cinna, who was now chasing the others. Good, she hadn't seen him, he smirked ducking back behind the rock he would rest before darting out again.
The wind suddenly seemed to shift…and a strange scent was carried on it. Making Kopa freeze and turn slowly and stop when he saw them…the two legged creatures…he blinked his eyes thinking he was seeing things again, but when he opened them they were still there standing some bit away from him.
And they were watching him.
Curiosity getting the better of him and without a backward glance he slowly made his way toward these strange creatures. Who were they…what were they…he never seen such creatures before, never heard of such creatures either. They were furless…what sort of creature didn't have fur…other then the elephants, rhinos and hippos he saw. But these two creatures were none of those things…
He watched as they watched him approach, the smaller one seemed to kneel down like he had seen monkey's do. That's it…maybe they were some sort of strange monkeys? He silent questioned to himself. He came short of them and tried not to appear afraid and braced himself and held his head high and proud like a prince should.
"Wh…who are you?" he asked.
"Ah, the little cub think's he is brave?" the tall one spoke, what seemed like a grin tugging at the corner of what Kopa could only know was its mouth.
"Thinks…No! I don't think…I know I'm brave!" Kopa proclaimed.
"Yes I'm sure you are…Prince Kopa."
"How do you know who I am?"
"We been watching over you for some time…" said the smaller one, who was still kneeling.
"Watching me…why?" the young prince asked.
"It is important for your future," answered the tall one.
Kopa furrowed his brow; these strange creatures have been watching him. They seemed to come and go, almost like ghosts…almost like the lions… "Are you working together with my grandfather…I saw him twice…"
"Smart cub…yes and no…that is the only answers we can give you right now. The time will come when you will see us again and you will know the answers!" this time the tall one knelt down and laid his hand on Kopa's head and peered down at him. "All answers will come in due time…and you must be prepared…for they may come…when you are lost and alone…"
Lost and alone? Why would he ever be lost and alone? He had his family, his friends and his pride…it didn't make sense…maybe they meant he would go exploring again one day and get lost? Yeah, that had to be in, that had to be what they meant.
"Cool…I can't wait!" he missed the grim expressions that came across their faces when he suddenly heard Binti calling his name from behind.
"Kopa?"
"Coming!" he called over his shoulder, he could tell that her voice was urgent, and he wondered what was wrong. "I have to go…" he said turning to face the two creatures again only to find they were no longer in front of him. He turned in circles but he could no longer see them. "Huh…what the?" maybe they really were ghosts. He couldn't see any sight of them and no creature could move that fast and silently…
"KOPA!"
Jumping, Kopa took one last look around before he turned, "Coming!" he shouted again and this time he took off toward where the others were wondering why Binti was shouting and sounding so worried.
From a distance, two male lions, one of grey and the other of red mane sat on a hillside and watched the young cub run back to his caregiver. Beside them stood their two legged companions. "You are sure you can do this?" Mansa asked.
The smaller companion nodded, "Yes, and it shall be…however the cub will be greatly saddened…he will first need to be taken care of and his emotions met and his safety…and then I shall play my part!"
"And you…" Mufasa looked toward the taller of the two.
The tall one grunted and nodded, "It is certain what I can do…"
Mufasa closed his eyes and stared off toward the Pridelands with saddened eyes, he hated what had to happen, but fate was fate…and at times fate was cruel…