Son of a Legend

Part 20: Backstabber

"Koda, you have fur singed off all over!" Kasi exclaims.
"I know I do, but we need to put this fire out!" Koda grunts.
"Kasi, go get the elephants so we can put out the flames! Kushona, get to higher ground and see where the fire is spreading! Misuli, listen to where Kushona says the fire is spreading, and knock stuff down to get un the fire's way to stop it from spreading! I'll keep an eye on our prisoner!" Koda orders. The guard nodded, and they all proceeded to do the tasks that they were told to do. Kushona and Misuli are able to contain the fire, and Hukumu doesn't make any run away attempts. Kasi comes back after about 3 minutes. The elephants have the fire put out within another 5 minutes.
"Koda, are you alright? Those burns look like the hurt." Kasi says, concerned about her fiancé.
"Nothing I can't handle." Koda grunts. "Let's get her back to the lair so we can interrogate her. We'll need to hurry so her friends don't come back and save her before we get back." Everyone nods. Kasi walks alongside Koda, who is marching Hukumu back to Priderock.
"Are you sure that you're alright, Koda? Those burns are nasty." She asks her fiancé.
"I'll be fine. Nothing a little aloe can't fix. At least, that's what I hope." He reassures her.
"Don't scare me like that anymore, okay?" She asks Koda.
"No promises, but I'll try my best not to do that anymore." Koda tells her.
Kasi smiles at him. "I love you, Koda." Koda smiles back and kisses her on the forehead. "I love you too." They arrive back at Priderock. They walk in and see that everyone who was there when they left is still in there.
"We caught Hukumu." Koda says to them, getting their attention.
"Koda! Are you okay? Your fur is all burnt up!" Nala exclaimed after seeing her 2nd born grandson.
"I'm fine. Just get her locked in the backroom. Keeping her in our custody is priority number 1." He says. Simba and Vitani take Hukumu and put her in the lair's holding cell. Simba then ran out of the den.
"So walk me through what happened real quick?" Mkali asks politely.
"So, we were on patrol, then a fire broke out. We see the killers, and they rake off running, so we run after them. I locked on Hukumu and chased her into a ring of fire. She's nowhere to be seen, but I see her silhouette through the flames. In my mind, I'm thinking that I'm not dying today, so I run through the fire and tackle her. I get the vines wrapped around her wrists, and then we get the fire put out." Koda says to them.
"That took a lot of guts on your part." Nala says to her grandson.
"I'm the Pridelands bravest for a reason, grandma." Koda responds.
"I'm so glad that you're okay." Kasi says as she hugs him.
"I think Kasi speaks for all of us when she says that." Mkali says from his bed. Suddenly, Simba comes running back into the lair. He is followed closely by Makini, Kovu, Kiara, Leah, and Asha.
"Oh, my baby! Are you alright!?" Kiara asks her son, tons of concern in her voice.
Koda sighs. "Yes, mom. I'm fine." Koda says, showing his displeasure at being called, "her baby."
"Oof! I don't think you're fine, Koda." Kovu says with just as much concern as Kiara had.
"Guys, I promise you that I'm fine! It looks worse than it is. Makini, can you put some aloe on my burns so that everyone stops worrying?" Koda is starting to get annoyed at all of the attention he is getting.
Makini looks over Koda, and then she does apply aloe to his burns.
"This will help with the pain, but all of the fur that was burned off will grow back significantly darker than the rest of your fur. It will be a charcoal color if I have to guess." Makini informs them.
"Well, there's definitely worse things in the world than having charcoal highlights in my fur." Koda chuckles.
"I'm just glad you're alright," Kasi says as she nuzzles up to him. They seem to forget that there is anyone else in the room.
"Guys?" Kushona asks. Kasi and Koda stop nuzzling. They both start to blush a little bit.
"You two are acting more affectionate than normal. Is there something going on that I should know about?" Mkali asks.
"Yeah, does this have anything to do with what you two were talking about earlier?" Misuli adds to Mkali's question.
Koda and Kasi look at each other.
"Should we tell them?" Koda asks her.
Kasi smiles and nods her head. "Kasi and I decided that we want to tie the knot." Koda tells everyone. They all erupt into applause.
"Mkali. You'll be healed in 7 to 8 months, right?"
"Yeah, why?" Mkali asks.
"Good. Coz I want you as my best man." Koda smiles at his cousin.
Koda walks over to Mkali's bed so they can dab each other up. "But enough about us, we need someone to go in there and interrogate Hukumu."
Everyone looks around at each other for a bit before someone finally volunteers.
"I'll do it." Vitani says. "I look at her, and I see a reflection of a teenage me. I think that I know how to get through to her."
"Before you go in there, there's something that you should know, Vitani. That antelope wasn't their first victim. It was Kion." Koda sighs. Everyone gasps. Vitani takes a deep breath, calming herself down so she doesn't kill Hukumu. She enters the holding cell.
"I know a lot about you, Hukumu." Vitani said to the lioness with black fur.
"You don't know anything about me!" Hukumu snarled in return.
"I do. I was you at one point in my life. I thought that the only way to accomplish what I wanted in life was to kill and wreak havoc, but that's not how life works." Vitani explained in a soothing tone. She could start to see that there was some remorse on Hukumu's face. "But there is still time to turn your life around. My husband gave me a second chance, and even though you played a major role in his death, I know that he'd want me to do the same for you."
"It's not too late for me?" Hukumu asked her.
"Yes, I just need you to answer a couple of questions, then we can see if my brother will give you amnesty." Vitani explains.
"Alright. Ask away." Hukumu sighed.
"What were your motives behind those murders?" She asked Hukumu.
"We were just doing what our boss told us to." Hukumu responds coolly.
"And who is your boss?" Vitani interrogates.
Hukumu's eyes go wide as plates. "He's standing right behind you!" Hukumu said urgently.
Vitani turns around and is met with a crutch to the face. Vitani is knocked down.
She looks up at her attacker and sees a lion with cream colored fur, a brown mane, green eyes, and stands at about 6'0", 200 lbs.
"Kopa!?" Vitani gasps. Kopa wraps his hands around Vitani's throat.
"Say 'hi' to Kion for me," He growls.
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There's Part 20 for you guys! Sorry I didn't upload yesterday. I didn't get an opportunity to work on this Sunday night like I thought I would, but better late than never, right? Thanks for reading, and I'll try my best to get another part up before the weekend!
(And for those of you who are wondering, no, Vitani will not go out as easy as Kopa thinks.)