The Lion King IV: Kopa's Story (COMPLETED)

Chapter 35

Shock and disbelief quickly took over our bodies. Another sibling? How could Tama keep Shyra from her sisters? How could Tama do this after what happened when Vitani and Shanni found out they were sisters? 

My head began to throb at the thought of that night. 

"What?" Vitani's voice wasn't harsh or cruel as I imagined her reaction to be. It was filled with confusion and heartbreak. I sighed and turned my attention towards the perplexed lionesses and gave them a reassuring smile before turning towards a wide eyed Simba and Nala. I flicked my ears to get their attention. They slowly tore their eyes away from Shyra, Shanni, and Vitani. They raised brows as if asking if I knew anything or if I expected this to happen. I flopped my ears and shook my head causing them to flick their ears back and share a look before Simba cuddled into Nala's fur and took a few steps forward. 

"Ladies, I think it's time we go home." Simba spoke softly to calm the still in shock lionesses. Slowly both Prides began to exit my cave and I could breathe again. It felt good to have the cave mostly empty again even if the atmosphere is filled with tension. Tojo quickly helped Tama up once the cave was close to empty and though his gesture was sweet, and a bit late, Tama shoved him away and gave him a dirty glare. Tojo scoffed and joined me at my side. 

"How could you do this again?" Vitani's voice was barely a whisper, her electric blue eyes avoiding Shyra completely. I knew the silent rage she had towards Tama and this must have been the thing to really set my fiery mate off. 

"Don't make this about you. I've just been embarrassed in front of both my Pride and Simba's. How can I face them after what Shyra has said-" 

"You can't possibly be blaming this on Shyra," Vitani hissed shutting Tama up. "You're the reason for all of this. If you had been more of a mother to us and a mate to Tojo this never would have happened. We could have been happy...Shanni wouldn't have been alone...I wouldn't have been raised by Zira and Shyra wouldn't have done what she did today. We could have been a family, Tama-"

"You think I didn't try to keep you? I fell pregnant with Shanni at a young age in fear of her being Scar's child!" Tama paused, her hazel eyes becoming filled with tears and yet Vitani's hard glare never faltered. "Then I had her...she was so small and Tojo's daughter...and mine. But, I feared Scar would have noticed and though she wasn't male I didn't want to live wondering when Scar would notice her and meet the fate that so many others had. So I told Tojo to take her to a neighboring Pride so that they could raise her and when the time was right we would go back and explain everything...but Scar's Reign seemed to never end." 

"So you forgot about me? Your first cub and you just forgot all about me." Shanni's raspy voice was soft and breaking. Mheetu nudged her with his nose but Shanni didn't lean into his touch as she normally did. Instead, she carefully rose and stood beside Vitani while Mheetu took over the boys. This was her's, Vitani's, and Shyra's fight to fight not ours no matter how badly I wanted to run to Vitani and hold her and tell her that none of this was worth it. That Tama wasn't worth it. But, my mate and her sisters needed answers and today they would receive it. 

Tama stared at her three daughters. Each of them hardly knowing the other and yet there they stood fighting for answers together as the family they should have been from the beginning. I stared along with her. They were all so different. The only way you could tell they were sisters was the fact that they all shared more or less the same fur color and hair tuft they all inherited from Tama. 

Tama sighing caused me to look away from them momentarily and focused my attention on her. She struggled to her uncolored paws with multiple groans and moans of pain. I mentally applauded Shyra for being the cause of this.