Chapter 23

This was all a nightmare.

It had to be.

And any minute now, she would wake up and would see that she was back inside the cave, warm, cozy and dry with all four of her precious cubs curled up along side her fast asleep. Safe and sound.

Yes. That was it. All of this was a nightmare. It wasn't like she hadn't dreamt of finding her son missing before…

Any minute now…

Any minute!

The time seemed to stretch on for Zuri, who stood just outside the entrance of the cave she been calling home for days. Days that the Queen seemed to have lost track of how long she and Kopa had been there, hiding away from the threat that lurked back at Pride Rock. And the more she stood there; in the pouring rain she was beginning to realize…that perhaps this was not a nightmare after all.

No, she thought solemnly.

She was wide awake now.

Lifting her head towards the sky, she watched lightning streak across the blackness while thunder echoed throughout the grasslands. But for the young Queen, it all seemed to be drowned out by the thunderous sound of her rapidly beating heart that only seemed to beat faster by the minute as panic set in.

No. Though it seemed that she wasn't dreaming…but it seem as though her nightmares were finally becoming true…

"Kopa…" her sons name was faint on her lips. Kopa, her cub…her little baby boy, was out there. Somewhere. Her mind was reeling with so many questions like…

Where was her son?

Was he safe?

Was he hurt?

And…

What could have made Kopa leave the safety of the cave in the first place?

Her mind went to the scent she had picked up on just prior to the rain when it began to fall…a scent she hadn't smelt in days…but knew exactly who it belonged too right away…the scent was that of Zira's…but it was so faint that it almost appeared to have been carried by the wind.

In a desperate attempt, Zuri tilted her head up towards the sky and gave a good sniff to see whether or not she could catch the scent again, or perhaps her sons that would tell her whether Kopa was near or that he had ventured too far from the cave. But it was of no use, any scent now, was simply impossible to detect in the rain.

"KOPA?" her voice echoed into the storm. Hoping that if her son was nearby, he would hear her and come running back and she could get him safely back inside the cave. He would…she knew he would. He was a good cub, he always came back when he was called and knew better then to stay out in the rain much less after dark not after that time he had stayed out that got him and the others in trouble.

Then again, Zuri thought, Kopa should have known better then to run out of the cave, most importantly not run outside without telling her first…she could not understand why he had done so to begin with…Kopa had not once ventured out of the cave against her orders. Yes, he always asked, many times in fact but he always listened in the end when she would tell him no.

Why hadn't he listened this time?

What could have possibly made him venture out of their safe haven?

Thunder jarred the Queen from her thoughts. Bringing her back to the reality of the situation. Her son was out there…alone…in the dark…in the storm…he was out there…and so was she…

She wanted too tell herself that the scent had been carried by the wind somewhere. After all the wind was raging long before the rain started to fall. It was a possible thing that the wind was only carrying it from somewhere else in the Pridelands. There could be no way, that Zira had found out the truth and that they were out there, there was no possible way for her to find out without the pride knowing she had seen them…but with each passing minute and no sign of her cub and not a sound of him calling out for her…

Something deep inside told her…some deep motherly instinct told her that her cub was in danger.

"KOPA?" she called out once more, but once again the only response she got was a loud crack of thunder that seemed to shake the very ground beneath her paws.

Where was her cub?

Staring off into the darkness, she searched for any sign of movement that would tell her that her cub was nearby. All her instincts were telling her that her cub was in danger and she had to find him before that monster did. Squinting her eyes, she leaned forward ready to spring when her eyes caught sight of something but after a moment, she could see whatever it was, was much too big to be her cub. Perhaps it was Simba…Nala did say, she would send the King toward the East when he got back to Pride Rock…her heart pounded in her chest because if it was her mate, she could not think of what she would tell him…how could she tell him that she had lost their son?

But no…a large streak of lightning soon revealed that it wasn't Simba at all…it wasn't even a lion…for she didn't know any lion that stood on two legs.

Her breath hitched in her throat when she realized what she was staring at or who she was staring at…the two legged creature that haunted her dreams…for a moment that gave her a sense of hope…maybe this really was indeed a nightmare and she was just over thinking it because she had so many of them that perhaps she really was dreaming and just thinking about it at the same time…

But if this really was a dream, he was showing himself too soon…any other time the two legged creature never appeared until just before she woke…and though that should give her hope, the end of her dreams normally consisted of either her finding her cubs dead or she herself was laying on the ground already dying…maybe he was there to tell her that her cubs…that Kopa was…

She could not even bring herself to say it, much less think it.

Taking a deep breath, she clenched her eyes shut. No! Her son wasn't dead! He couldn't possibly be! Any minute, she would realize this was all just another nightmare and she would wake up…wake up….wake up!

'This is no dream Queen Zuri…'

The Queen froze when a voice seemed to whisper right in her ear, though there was no one there beside her. So there couldn't have been any way she would have heard a voice. But she also knew that voice…lifting her eyes, she stared off into the darkness again catching the glimpse of the figure that stood amongst the tall grass that was illuminated whenever lightning lit up the sky.

The two of them caught each others eyes; deep brown staring into sapphire blue and she heard it again…

'Yes, Queen Zuri, it was I that you heard…and this is no dream…'

"No…" she breathed. "That can't be true…"

'I speak not but the truth my Queen, and every minute you waste…is another minute leading toward his fate…'

"My son…is he…"

'Dead? Not yet…but his life hangs in the balance…for she is on the hunt.'

"No! My son will not die…I will not allow that lioness to kill him!"

'….that is not for you to decide…the course of fate…has already been decided…you can try…but remember my Queen…where there is death…there will always be death…'

"NO!" Zuri's loud roar echoed out into the storm.

Blinking her eyes, Zuri stared at the spot the figure was standing or where he once was standing.

Where did he go?

Squinting her eyes, she stared through the rain but there was no longer any sign that he was there and even with the rain there was not even any trace of a scent…it was almost like he hadn't been there all along…

Maybe she had imagined all that?

She wanted desperately to believe that. But that feeling from before came creeping back inside her mind. That instinct that told her that her cub was in danger and that she needed to save him.

'His life hangs in the balance…she is on the hunt.'

The words echoed in her head.

She was on the hunt…Zira was on the hunt…

A growl tore from her throat. That lioness was after her son…her cub…her baby! Zuri could tolerate the lioness's hatred toward her, she could tolerate the sneers, the threats…but she would never allow that…that monster, to harm her cub. Staring off into the storm, she began to step away from the cave when she heard it, the soft mews of her three one week one cubs that were back inside the cave calling for their mother…calling for her.

Hearing those mews…those cries coming from her tiny cubs…made her feel torn…she had to go and find her son. She had to keep Zira from getting to him…but by doing that she was going to have to leave the cave…and leave her other cubs unprotected. Perhaps she should wait for Simba to arrive…he would surely be coming…right?

But even if he was coming…there was always the chance that he wouldn't make it in time…

No…she would have to go after her son herself…there just wasn't any time to wait, the longer she took to finding Kopa the closer he could be to being killed…clenching her eyes shut, she darted back inside the cave and hurried over to her mewing cubs. "Shh, my little ones…everything is alright…there is nothing to be afraid of my darlings…it is only a storm, it cannot hurt you…" she whispered nuzzling her cubs she then grabbed them one by one and carried them to the back of the cave. Hiding them there, she crouched down enough to wrap her paws around them all and pulled them close running her tongue along their tiny bodies making them squirm and mew.

"You'll be safe here…I'll be back as soon as I can…I…" Zuri fell silent; a sinking feeling told her she wouldn't be coming back to the cave. She knew how her dreams always ended and she could only hope, that from all the dreams she had, all the warning they gave her…that she could use that to make it out alive…both she and all her cubs. "I promise my little ones…" she nuzzled them all while licking them one last time.

Climbing to her paws, she turned without a backward glance and hurried from the cave. Stopping once she stepped back out into the rain again, she fought the tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes. She took a moment too figure out exactly where her son was, he couldn't be far…when she saw him…the figure again…he was standing much further away this time but he was there, watching her.

'Lead me!'

She commanded mentally, watching while he gave a small incline of the head to indicate he had heard her. Taking a moment to look around to check that there was no one else around, she took her first step away from the cave, and her cubs. With a single bound she leapt off the rocks and took off in a running bound following the two legged figure as he turned and began to run through the tall grass.

"I'm coming Kopa! Hang on!"

"There she goes…"

Dotty raised her head to skim the top of the grass from hers and Kumai's hiding spot. They had been waiting out there for some time, hiding in the tall grass that lined the Eastern borders. Their fur caked with mud, something that allowed them to stay hidden and undetected without another catching onto their scent. The two of them had arrived at the Eastern borders shortly after Kopa had run off with Nuka, Kovu and Vitani.

Neither of them liked the idea that Zira was using her cubs to lure the prince out of the cave. They had thought Zira would have just done what they would have considered the easy thing, slink into the cave and attack the royals when they were least expecting it. And though the two of them really wanted nothing to do with any of this, it would have made more sense. Inside the caves, the Queen was defenceless as was her cubs. It would have been easy…

But Zira…Zira wanted to enjoy the chase.

They both waited in silence as the storm got closer. They listened as each rolling echo of thunder got louder as it settled right over them.

Lifting her eyes to the sky, Kumai watched as lightning flashed and for a moment took it in with complete awe. For some time since she came to the Pridelands she often wondered if she would ever see rain again and though no one really knew it, she and the others had often thought during Scar's reign of running off away from there if no food would return. When rain started to return to the land, she thought it was a miracle…for the first few weeks since Simba had become king when it rained she would sit out in the open and just let it wash over her.

A small smile came over her thought as she listened to the gathering storm when she felt Dotty beside her nudge her with her paw. "What?"

"Listen!"

Listen? Listen to what…she wondered but she got her answer when she heard a shout coming from the direction of the Eastern caves. Lifting her head a bit to peer over the tall grass she looked in the direction the caves were located in and quickly had to duck away when she saw the Queen was standing outside looking around and had almost looked in their direction.

"KOPA!?"

The two lionesses ducked low to the ground as they listened to the distraught lioness calling out for her missing son. But it was the loud crack of thunder, the loudest they heard all afternoon, boom overhead that made them look up. Dotty clenched her eyes when in seconds the both of them were completely drenched as the rain came pouring down hard. The mud on their fur that had long since started to dry, was once again wet from the rain and began to drip off their fur to join the new patches of mud beneath their paws.

"Irony…" Kumai whispered, but Dotty managed to hear her despite the thunder and pounding rain. "It's like the Pridelands knows when to weep…" Dotty didn't quite understand for a moment what she was indicating too but after a few seconds thought she nodded her head sadly. Yes, it did seem as if the Pridelands were indeed alive, almost like it knew when to rain and when not too.

The night Scar died it rained, but the land did not seem to be weeping for him, but instead it seemed to be weeping with joy for Simba's return. And tonight…it seemed to weep once more for its royalty…

"Best to not think about it…might distract us if we think what sadness this will cause…" she muttered.

The two remained where they were hiding, low to the ground, ears strained to try and hear anything from the Queen who seemed to be speaking but to whom they couldn't be sure of nor could they really make out anything she was saying. The two lionesses jumped suddenly when they heard a loud cry of "NO!" come from the brown lioness and both lifted their heads just enough to watch the Queen dart back into the cave.

"Do we go?" Dotty asked.

Kumai shook her head; "No…the orders were to wait until she leaves…" she fell silent for as soon as the words left her mouth as they both watched as the Queen came back out of the cave. Took a moment to look around, then moments later darted off into the storm.

"There she goes…" Dotty waited a moment more until Zuri was far out of sight then climbed to her paws with Kumai following suit. The two then carefully made their way toward the caves, taking a moment to check that indeed there was no one else inside, they both climbed up and slipped on into the cave with Kumai taking one last look over her shoulder then ducked on inside behind Dotty.

Looking around the cave, Dotty moved toward the pile of dead grass that held most of the scents of the new cubs. But upon approaching it she could not see them anywhere… "Do you think she took them with her?" she looked back at Kumai as the lioness made her way over. Kumai shook her head "No…we would have seen if she was carrying them…no…she must have hid them somewhere…" ears flickering, she listened intently for any sound and sure enough she picked up the soft sound of mewing cubs.

Stepping around Dotty, she made her way to the back of the caves following the sound of the mews with the other lioness following behind her. It didn't take them more then a minute to locate the cubs that only seemed to mew louder at the sound of approaching paw steps heading in their direction, their tiny noses sniffing the air in hopes that it was their mother coming back for them. But when the scents that reached their noses weren't that of their mothers or any others they had smelt before all three of them squirmed and mewed even louder. Crying out for their mother.

The two lionesses stopped and looked down at the three innocent beings lying on the ground in front of them. Taking note that the cubs had yet to open their eyes and squirmed blindly into one another as they tried to get away from the new scents near them, their instincts telling them that these two new creatures could be a danger to them. "They're so tiny…" Dotty breathed out at the sight of the cubs. She took in the colour of their pelts, and just how small they seemed to be. They almost looked to be no bigger then her paw.

With a paw, Kumai reached out running it along the closest cubs back, the little brown male making him mew and squirm at being touched by this stranger. Looking down at him, a sad smile tug on her lips, this little cub reminded her of one of the cubs that had been born in her old pride just before they had been attacked and the cubs had been the first to die.

"Do we take all three…?" asked Dotty trying to figure out how they were going to carry all three of them. Do they take them all or do they leave one and take the risk of telling Zira they only found two?

Kumai looked to be as if she was contemplating the idea but in the end shook her head "No…we'll take all three…I'll carry these two…" Kumai used her paw to separate the cubs from one another; bending downward she made sure to be careful while she picked up the brown dark and the tanned female cubs in her mouth while Dotty picked up the brown female.

Casting a quick look at one another, the two of them turned and began making their way out of the den before someone came their way. Last thing they needed as the King and his lionesses to show up and see them making off with the cubs, they highly doubted Simba would give them a chance to explain before he would attack them to get his cubs back.

Stepping back out into the rain, the cubs mewed in protest as soon as the first drops of water hit their tiny bodies. The two took a moment to look around, then seeing it was safe they both together jumped from the caves and bounded off into the direction Zira told them that she and the others would be.

His heart was pounding in his chest. Casting a quick look back over his shoulders, Kopa managed to make out the outline of those who were following him. Their growls loud enough that he could hear them despite the raging storm. He been running for what he figured had already been two miles and his paws were starting to ache. His left back paw hurt the most, a mile back he had cut it on a sharp rock he hadn't seen. He could feel it bleeding but he wouldn't let that stop him he thought.

He had to keep on running. He wouldn't stop…he couldn't stop!

Sobs built up inside him. He wanted his mother…he wanted his father…he wanted his grandmother! He had hoped the more he ran the quicker he would get back to the safety of his mother or pride but the further he ran he soon came to realize that he was nowhere near the Eastern caves or Pride Rock. He couldn't really tell where he was heading but he didn't stop running. Remembering what his parents always told him if he was ever in danger, to run and never stop, to run until he found help that's what they always told him to do.

But there wasn't any help nearby…

"MOM! DAD!" he cried out as he felt himself stumble, quickly catching himself before he could crash into the ground. "HELP!" his cry echoed out into the storm as the thunder roared overhead and the rain continued to pound down onto him.

Behind him he could have sworn the growls turned to laughter. Looking back once more, he wasn't looking where he was going and felt the ground disappear from beneath him as he went tumbling down a steep hill he hadn't realized was there until it was too late.

"WHOA!"

Rolling down the hill he kicked up mud and twigs that he hit on the way down to the bottom. Landing hard on his back he felt the wind get knocked out of him as he stared up through the rain at the dark clouds and lightning above. Chest heaving, he took in gulps of air. Taking a moment to get his bearings when he heard it…the laughing growls above him and tilting his head back he could make out the figures that had been giving chase to him up above on the top of the hill side he had just fallen from.

Eyes widening, he quickly flipped back onto his paws whimpering when he placed pressure on his front right leg. He realized he must have twisted it on the way down. "You can't run forever little prince!" a high pitched laugh echoed from above him, for a moment it seemed familiar but he didn't try and figure it out as he tried to run the best he could with pain shooting up through his leg while behind him he could hear his pursuers making their way down the hillside.

He ran until he ran head first into something very hard and stumbling back shaking his head from the pain he glanced up blinking his wide eyes at what he saw before him…a skull…a really big skull…it reminded him of an elephant…it was then he knew exactly where he was…he was in the elephant graveyard…the one place his parents told him he was forbidden to go…

Staring at the skull he thought for a moment that perhaps he thought he found a place to hide. Looking back over his shoulder he darted on into the skull and lowered himself down to the ground once he was inside and out of the rain he was both shaking from fear and shivering from the cold.

"Where did he go?!"

Kopa felt his throat clench up and suddenly found it hard to breathe. Ears pressed against his head he laid it down on his front paws while listening to those outside his hiding place. It was then he remembered where he had heard that voice before…

His eyes widened and he clamped his paws over his mouth to muffle his startled gasp.

Zira…It was Zira!

But…why? He thought. Why was Zira chasing him?

His ears went up when he heard more voices and started recognizing them as the other lionesses that belonged to Zira's little pride. The very lionesses his mother tried many times to tell him that no matter who they followed and how they treated them, which he could never understand, that they were pride sisters and needed to be treated as such.

"He has to be around here somewhere Zira…" he recognized that voice as belonging to Asma.

He heard Spotty next "He must be hiding…there are plenty of places here to hide in…"

"Well then find him! I want his bloody body beneath my paws when his mother shows up…I want to see the look of horror on her face when she realizes she was too late to save her precious cub!" Zira hollered. "And then…and only then will we kill her!"

Kopa felt his heart jump into his throat…Zira…Zira wanted to kill his mother…wanted to kill him…his heart began to pound wildly in his chest…he had to find his mother…he had to warn her! But another part of him told him, that his mother already knew…

His grandmother's words the night he went to the caves with his mother sounded in his mind…how they were going there for their own safety…that something…no…someone was trying to cause harm to them…

The young prince suddenly froze, jarred from his thoughts at the sound of approaching paw steps but just as he was about to back up to hide further in his hiding place he found himself staring into a pair of unmistakable amber eyes that shined with malice.

"Well…well…well…look what we have here…A little prince so far from home…Why hello Prince Kopa…" the prince's eyes widened and jumping to his paws, ignoring the pain in his right front leg, he darted forward to try and dodge around Zira but the lioness only side stepped to let him pass and at the last second swiped out with her paw catching him in the side and sent him flying across the muddy ground.

"Oops…you poor thing…can't even stand on your own paws…" Zira smirked she approached the prince slowly. She had loved the chase; she could have sworn she had smelt the young cubs' fear that radiated off of him as she hunted him down. They had been herding him in the exact direction she wanted him to go.

Though she had lost him for just a moment she had soon picked up on his small paw prints that were lodged into the muddy ground. Approaching the skull the prince hid in she could smell his fear once more, she was almost on top of him before he realized that she was even there and she took pleasure in the look of terror that radiated in the cubs eyes when he realized he been found and when he found out who exactly it was that had been chasing him.

She laughed watching him scramble back onto his paws only to find himself surrounded by Spotty, Asma and Baya on every side of him and behind him blocking him from escaping in front of him he could hear Zira approaching. "Now little prince…we just want too play…there's no need to run!"

Jumping around, Kopa glared at Zira trying his best to not show that he was afraid, he wanted to be brave. He was a prince! He wasn't supposed to be afraid! He had to be brave! "Stay back!" he tried to roar but it only caused the lioness in front of him to laugh and slap him with her paw sending him back to the ground.

"Oh, so the little prince thinks he's brave!" Zira mused.

Spotty, Asma and Baya shared a look and gave a small laugh though it was clearly forced but Zira didn't seem to take notice of it. Each lioness was hoping secretly that the Queen would show up and that she would have been wise enough to go too Pride rock and rally forces rather than come alone.

"I am brave! I am a prince, and princes are always brave!" snapped Kopa.

Spotty had to admit the young prince was either very brave or very foolish to try and stand up too Zira the very lioness that was trying to kill him. She didn't quite like the idea that Zira was taunting the prince…but as always she didn't dare say a word.

"Are you little prince?" Zira smirked, leaning down until she was nose to nose with the cub. "I would say you are very foolish rather then brave. To go against your mothers wishes and slip out of the cave…after all young prince, all she wanted was to protect her little cub…and yet here you are…far from her watchful eye!" leaning her head back she circled the cub laughing to herself as she eyed him watching the young prince as he kept himself low to the ground.

"What a bad little boy you are, to disobey your mother…but then again…I may not have gotten you out of that cave if it weren't for my cubs…" she looked at the prince's face taking pleasure in the confused look that came over it. "Oh yes, they were all part of the plane…"

"You lie! They would never want to hurt my mom or me! They're my friends!"

"Are they?" asked Zira stopping in front of the prince.

"They said they didn't know anyone meant harm to me or my mother!" Kopa tried to sound convinced but deep inside he was wracked with building doubt. Were his friends really just lying? Did they really know someone wanted to kill them? Did they really know that it was their mother all along that wanted them dead? So many questions ran through his mind as he tried to fight the doubt off. He wanted to believe his friends would never betray him like that.

"I see I trained them well…they know exactly how to lie and make you believe every word. They had been in on my plan from the very beginning…they want revenge for their father's death just as much as I do. Too make Simba pay for the death of the rightful king!" Zira laughed but was cut short by Kopa who shouted.

"My Father is the rightful King! He saved the Pridelands! Scar was a tyrant! Everyone says so…he deserved too die!" the young prince didn't have much time to duck when Zira's paw came down and connected with his head. The other three lionesses quickly adverted their gaze but couldn't block the sounds of Kopa's yowl of pain.

The young prince cried out the moment Zira's paw struck his head, sending him flying across the ground once more. Blood seeped from the three cuts that marred his cheek, running from just below his right eye to his neck. The cub whimpered the pain from the cuts that stung even more as the rain hit them.

"Scar did not deserve to die! He was the one true King of this land…these were his lands! They belong to him and his heir…Kovu! He was hand chosen by Scar, he should be King…but no…when your murderous father and mother showed up with those outsider lions and killed my mate and King…did they allow Kovu to continue to be the rightful heir…no! Your outsider mother gave birth to you…and instead of allowing my precious Kovu to become King they chose you instead…" Zira sneered her claws digging into the muddy ground. "And you who would cast my sons out when they were old enough! That boy is why they turned on you, why they want you dead!"

"Nu…Nuka was first born…why Kovu…" Kopa whimpered climbing to his paws trying to ignore the pain in his twisted paw and the cuts that marred his skin. "And…I…I wasn't going to make them leave! Mom said when I would be King…I can make the law for them to stay! And you lie…they wouldn't betray me or my mom…"

"Oh…but they have…" purring in delight, Zira stepped closer to the wounded prince taking satisfaction at the fear that was etched across his face while he stumbled back from her right into Asma's paws.

Titling his head back, Kopa peered up at the lioness with pleading eyes "Pl…please…don't let her kill me…please…" he begged hoping she would do something. Remembering how his mother said that those who followed Zira weren't so bad and that many seemed respectful to her.

But any hope he had quickly vanished when Asma turned her head away, the lioness could not stand the way the cub was looking at her and pleading. Shutting her eyes she swallowed the lump in her throat and didn't say a word but instead with her paw she shoved Kopa away from her causing the cub to stumble forward and crash into the ground in front of Zira.

"Do you really think anyone here will help you? You truly are a pitiful prince, begging for help. Scar never begged for help. He was a proud and strong leader! You…well you can't even stand and fight for yourself!" Zira smirked as she watched the cub crash in front of her she fought the urge to kill him right then and there but no she wanted to wait until the Queen arrived. She wanted to see the look on the Outsiders face when she watched her kill her first born right in front of her very eyes.

"If you are truly as brave as you say you are…then why aren't you standing up for yourself? Oh, I forgot…you a pitiful excuse of a…" Zira bent her head down to the prince's level when suddenly with his good paw Kopa struck out and scratched the lioness across the nose making her rear back howling in pain. Taking this opportunity the prince jumped to his paws and once again started to run to get away from the lionesses hunting him.

"What are you waiting for? Get him!"

Zira's roar sounded behind him as she commanded the three lionesses to follow him but the young prince didn't bother to look back this time to see if they were giving chase.

He had to find a better place to hide…he needed to find his mother….he needed to warn her…he needed to find his father…his father would be able to protect them…the pride would…

But he would never make it to Pride rock in time, the elephant graveyard was just too far from home and the safety of the pride. He had to hide and then his mother would come. She would be able to fight the others off, she was strong…he remembered the story of how she had saved Nala from the leopard brothers in the Jungle. His mother was strong, she would save him. She had too.

He scrambled up over a tusk embedded in a mound of dirt, not bothering to climb down once on the other side but instead threw himself down to allow himself to roll down the hill. "Oaf!" wincing in pain from his wounds, Kopa told himself he needed to push on, looking around him he jumped to his paws.

His ears flickered as he tried to listen for something…anything that told him Zira and the others were near. But he couldn't hear not a single thing but the thunder that sounded over head.

Did he loose them?

Limping forward, Kopa tried to keep an ear and look out for those who were chasing him but he could not see or hear anything. Perhaps he really did loose them?

Taking a moment to lift his paw to his face he flinched back from his own touch when he tried to check on the claw marks on his face. He whimpered a little from the rain hitting them and the dirt that had gotten into the cuts during his little tumble just moments ago. Lowering his paw he took a chance to look at his right paw that stung from when he had twisted it. His back paw that he had cut long into the chase was just as swore from the dirt getting into the cuts but it didn't hurt twice as much as his front paw.

Sitting, the young prince hunched his body whimpering as the sobs he tried to hold in before started building up inside him then finally broke out. Tears poured down his face mixing with the rain, mud and blood.

He thought back to what Zira had just told him…his friends really weren't his friends…they had only been pretending…they were even in on killing him and his mother…more sobs made their way out as he thought of these things. But sadness was soon overrun with anger…over the fact that he been so blind…he heard the things the lionesses said how they thought it wasn't safe for him to play with those cubs, he wasn't deaf he heard them all the time when they thought he wasn't listening…

But he never wanted to believe them. They are his…were his friends…

But that had all been a lie…

They were never his friends…

Why had he been so stupid…why did he leave his mothers side…

"Mom…"

"Oh, does the little prince want his mommy?"

Gasping, Kopa whipped around and froze his paws shaking as he glanced up at Zira who stared down at him with a menacing smile from the mound he had just previously rolled down in hopes of escaping her. "Wh…when my mom gets here…you'll be sorry! She's strong…she fought off leopards in the Jungle…she'll get you!" the cub stuttered.

"I'm sure she is on her way…but I'm also very certain that she wouldn't be able to fight me off…or my pride…for you see young prince…I have you, and soon I'll have your brother and sisters for you see little prince you are your mothers weakness. Cubs are always a mother's weakness. She won't attack me as long as I have you…

"I was hoping to wait to kill you so she could watch but I'll settle for killing the other three in front of her. For this…" she waved her paw at the scratches across her nose. "I'll take pleasure in killing you right here and now…you shouldn't have left your mother…this is for Scar!"

Kopa's mind was shouting for him to run but fear locked his legs making him unable to move all the while he watched the lioness above him brace herself then lounge down over the mound at him grabbing him in her jaws or least part of him. For at the last second, the cub swallowed his fear and pushing off his legs he jumped to the side but not quick enough as he yelled in pain when Zira's teeth clamped down on his left ear.

Grabbing hold of the cub's ear, Zira bite down tearing into the skin while Kopa continued to wiggle and squirm in hopes of getting away from her. Shaking her head she pulled on the ear to drag the cub closer so she could grab his throat before he could move away from her again when Kopa screamed in pain yet again as blood gushed from his ear that in one last tug from him and pull from Zira tore inside the lioness' mouth.

Tumbling to the ground, the prince clenched his eyes shut at the pain that throbbed from his ear…or his now missing ear. Blood soaked the left side of his head, blood flowed from what was left of his left ear and there wasn't much of it. What was left of his ear was nothing more then a small bleeding stump that was just inches from his head.

Growling, Zira spat what part of the cubs ear was in her mouth to the ground "How does it feel young prince…to lay there in your own blood…like my mate did when he died…and soon to have your mother look upon your dead body and weep as my cubs had when they looked upon their father's corpse!" sneering she approached Kopa who remained where he laid on the muddy rain soaked ground. The rain falling down on him but not even that could wash the blood completely from his wounded ear and scratched face.

Forcing his clenched eyes open, Kopa stared as she came toward him. In what was left of his ear he could hear the same voice that told him to run earlier once again 'Get up Kopa…get up…you have to get up…'

"I can't…" he whispered back low enough that not even Zira could have heard him over the raging storm.

'Yes you can my boy! Get up! You have the blood of a Rasheda…we are stronger then this…do not back down to this lioness!' A new voice joined the other.

"Who are you…?" asked the cub who continued to watch Zira stalk toward him like some helpless prey.

'We are…'

A loud yowl of pain brought Kopa's attention forward where he could no longer see Zira approaching him but instead she was not pinned to the left of his vision and struggling against a dark brown blur who had it's jaws wrapped around one of Zira's legs as the lioness tried to fight off whatever was fighting it.

It was then that the dark brown blur suddenly became recognizable and the cub could make out that it was his mother. "Mom…" he breathed out new tears in his eyes. His mother had come to save him, like he knew she would. He watched as the two fought when Zira got her hind legs under Zuri and with a push shoved the brown lioness off her sending Zuri into the ground near her cub.

Kopa watched as his mother took a moment to gasp for air from how hard she had hit the ground then clambered to her paws growling fiercely "Lay one more paw on my cub and I'll tear you're throat out!"

Blood.

Zuri had been running for several miles, her eyes constantly on the figure ahead of her letting him lead the way to where her son was. Along the wait despite the rain she had picked up the unmistakable scent of Zira and her lionesses along with her son's but it didn't make her stop running it only made her run faster to catch up to them.

But when the scent of fresh blood reached her nose, she stumbled as she came to a halt and brushed her nose against the grass and the blood that stained it. It was fresh but it was whom it belonged too that stopped her heart for just a moment. The blood was Kopa's, she tracked it until she came to a rock and only then did she relax and let out the breath she was holding.

He must have scratched his paw on the rock, she thought.

'My Queen…there is no time to waste…we must hurry!'

Lifting her head, Zuri stared toward the two legged figure that had stopped just a short distance from her. "We've been running for miles! Where is my son? Shouldn't we have caught up by now?" she demanded stalking her way over to him. The figure clutched the strange staff he held in his hand, the staff was not like that of Rafiki's for at the top of it came to a strange point and it seemed to be made of stone. Hanging around it was feathers of different birds much similar to the feathers that hung around the creature's neck.

'They had come this way Queen Zuri…we are on their trail…'

"He could be dead by now for how long we are taking!" Zuri snapped tears in her eyes. They were taking far too long to find her baby…he could already be dead…she could only picture what he might have been feeling…what he might have been thinking…

What if he thought, that she had failed him…That she hadn't come in time to save him…

'He is alive…'

"And how can you possibly know that!?"

'My sources tell me that he is indeed still alive…'

"And who are these sources…as a matter of fact…who are you? You have yet to tell me, for all I know you could be leading me away from my son!" Zuri demanded.

'You will learn in due time…but now is not that time…you must trust me Queen Zuri…your son is a live but if we wait much longer he will not be…'

The two legged creature said nothing more but simply turned and continued to jog in the direction he been previously going. Zuri stayed rooted to the spot for a moment more not sure if she really should trust this creature, what if he really was leading her away from her son? Closing her eyes, Zuri sighed and once again began bounding off after the strange creature figuring she really has no other choice how else was she going to find her son.

He came to warn her in the first place, and that there was good enough to make her trust him for the time being to lead her in the right direction towards her son.

Along the way she could see more taints of blood but none too much to tell her that her son was terribly wounded.

It wasn't long before it finally kicked in where the two legged creature was leading her, with each flash of lightning and her good vision she was able to detect the familiar setting around her. When just before Kopa was born, Sarabi and Simba had taken her around the Pridelands to show her the lands so that she would become familiar with them and would know all the quick pathways that led to Pride Rock so that she would never get lost, and she remembered when they had come to the borders of the Elephant Graveyard.

It was during that time that Simba had told her about what had happened the time he and Nala had ventured there after his Uncle had told him about the place. It was only really then and there that Simba finally came to realize that his Uncle had planned on killing both him and Nala that day when he told him of the elephant graveyard the one place all lion's cubs in the pride from a young age were forbidden to go. It was only after seeing the hyenas with Scar and recognizing three of them as the ones that had attacked him and Nala that day that he really saw and figured out the truth behind why Scar had told him about it.

This had also been one of the many places that the pride had told the cubs that they were never to venture. Even when Kopa asked nearly a good dozen times why he couldn't go there and given they had already shared the story of how Zuri herself had been chased by hyenas in the Jungle and his grandmother Zakia killed by them they had agreed to tell him what had happened to his father that time.

Zuri was never really sure how she could make Kopa see hyenas…sure they were scavengers and lions never really held much of a liking for them. But she was hoping to raise her son to respect all creatures but she knew it was wise to make him fearful of the creatures for you could never be certain how one or a pack of them would see a young lone lion as a meal.

"How much further?" she called out.

The creature didn't even turn his head as he called back to her 'We are close…' but it was not his words that she focused on but rather the familiar sounding cries she heard in the distance that wasn't hard to detect through the raging storm. The cries of her cub.

Anger built its way up inside her overpowering her fear as she spurred herself forward as fast as her legs could go suddenly wishing she had the speed of a cheetah to reach her son faster. Amongst the anger raging inside her, was the guilt that she had been too late to get to her son first, for his cries told her that Zira had gotten to him before she could. She lifted her ears more when she heard a new howling pain that didn't belong to her son but rather it sounded like it belonged to a full grown lion.

"What is going on?" shouted Zuri as she willed herself to run faster to find out what was going on. But she got no answer from the two legged creature and looking forward she came to a halt when she realized he was once again no longer in front of her in fact he wasn't anywhere to be seen. "Where did you go? Now is not a time to disappear…you said you'd lead me to my son!"

'And I have…'

Growling low, Zuri glared in every direction as she tried to pinpoint the exact direction she had heard the cries coming from just moments ago. Pacing around in many different directions she finally picked up on the faint smell of blood that made her heart stop in her chest for just moment…this scent once again belonged to her son…but there was far too much of it to just be from a scratched up paw.

"Hold on baby, mommy's coming!" taking off the Queen bounded off in the direct location the scent of the blood was coming from. Arriving at the borders of the elephant graveyard, she sniffed the ground and growled low in her throat when she picked up the scent of not only her son but also that of Zira and three of her lionesses. From the scents she recognized them to be Spotty, Asma and Baya…but why did she only have three of them with her?

Knowing she didn't have much time to ponder such things, she carefully made her way down the slippery hillside but once at the bottom her anger rose even further when she finally caught the exact spot she smelt her son's blood coming from. Approaching it slowly she could make out the paw prints of both Kopa and the lionesses he was running from all around.

Pressing her nose to the ground, she stared at the large droplets of blood that stained the muddy ground. He was hurt…her cub was hurt…how much she couldn't exactly tell by the blood on the ground for all she knew he could be bleeding out but the rain washed away must of it. But it wasn't just Kopa's blood she smelt, sure his was the most noticeable for there seemed to be more of his but she could pick up the faint smell of Zira's blood as well. This confused her but she couldn't let that confuse her for too long…though the blood started here her son and the others were no where to be seen.

Looking around at the many various paw prints she saw that they went in so many different directions. But her son's smaller prints were soon able to pick up once more and she quickly began to follow them but she soon realized that other much larger ones were right along with his.

Still running, she lowered her head for just a moment to allow the scent of the tracks to tell her that it was Zira that had followed the cub. Her head snapped up when she heard the ever familiar cries of her son in the distance looking around she quickly turned down another way she figured would get her to him sooner but as she rounded the next corner she stopped in a suddenly halt when the strong scent of her sons blood hit her scare in the face.

Horror overcame her as she watched the fallen body of her son on the ground, blood pouring from what was left of his ear, and running down his face mixed with mud and rain. She watched as Zira spat out the part of the ear she had in her mouth…the ear she had torn from her son.

A new strange sort of rage built its way up inside her. A rage she had never felt before…the rage of a mother protecting her cub…With a loud growl she ran toward the offending lioness as she began making her way toward her son. She wouldn't let Zira get her son anymore then she already had…

She rammed into Zira with full force causing the lioness to yowl in pain as she was knocked to the left. Zuri was on top of her before Zira could get back up, biting and clawing at the other lioness she clamped her jaws around Zira's leg when Zira tried to strike at her with it. She could have sworn she heard Kopa call for her behind her but it was so faint but she would see to him as soon as she settled matters with Zira. Reaching out with her paw she was prepared to slam it down on the other lionesses neck claws extended when she felt Zira turn beneath her and slip her back paws under her form and kicked up clawing at her underside and sides in the process.

Biting her lip to keep from yowling in pain but she did gasp when she felt the wind get knocked out of her from the force of which she hit the ground with. Force of all she found it harder to breathe from the fact that the force had broke one of her rib bones and as she clambered to her paws she had to be careful of it not puncturing a lung.

Positioning herself near her son she glared in Zira's direction, ignoring the pain from her ribs and the wounds that bled beneath her and along her sides from where Zira's claws had gotten her and growled fiercely as she dared the lioness to make another move. She wouldn't let Zira harm her cub any more then she already had.

"Lay one more paw on my cub and I'll tear you're throat out!"

Please do make sure to review. I like your opinions. Would have continues but the chapter was getting really long