Lone Lion: Kopa's Story (Lion King Fanfiction)

Chapter 7: New Cub

"Kopa. Kopa, wake up," whispered a hot breath in his ear.

Kopa mumbled as he rolled aside, thrusting his paws over his muzzle. "Dad, I'm still tired. Why do I have to get up?"

"Come on. We need to wake up," answered Simba as he sunk his teeth into Kopa's scruff and hauled him to his paws.

Kopa let out a squeak as his paws thrust forward when Simba set him down. Simba looked up and blinked his eyes as he shook his flank. Simba smiled and showed his teeth before he nuzzled his son.

"Let's go," murmured Simba as he licked Kopa's ear and nudged him forward. "I think that it would be better for your mother if we're not around today."

Kopa shrugged as he bounded forward. "Okay," he meowed as he struggled to meet his father's strides. "What are we going to do today?"

"I thought that we could go out and try hunting," suggested Simba as he kinked his tail over his back and bounded down the massive rock.

Kopa smiled as he darted after his father. His paws thundered next to his fathers as he kept looking up at him. "I'm so excited," he puffed. "I've never hunted anything besides grubs!"

"Yes, I know. But, remember that food is a blessing. You give thanks for what you have and you never waste food. The circle of life consumes us all and we have to respect it," explained Simba as he puffed out his chest, reciting the same thing that his father had said to him when he was Kopa's age.

Kopa thought about what his father had said. He had heard it before from both of his parents, but it was different when he was actually going to be hunting. He hadn't taken a life that wasn't a bug before and he was a little nervous.

Simba stretched out a paw as he stopped Kopa from coming forward. "Now, listen to me carefully. I'm going to teach you how to stalk forward. It's not difficult, but the grass can make it so. You have to be aware of where you're putting your paws and how you bunch your muscles. Watch me."

Simba lowered into a crouch with his head lowered into his shoulders and paws shoulders length. He stalked forward on delicate paws, even though he was quite large for a lion. He lowered into the tall grasses and licked his lips as he continued forward with his hackles lower than his shoulders. Once he was finished, he turned and looked at Kopa. "Just lower down and we'll go from there."

Kopa nodded as he leaped forward and immediately narrowed down. He pressed his underbelly to the ground as he squished himself almost completely flat against the ground. His ears were plastered against his head as he leaned forward.

"Well, it's not horrible," Simba commented as he came over. He nudged Kopa's right side to balance him. "You're leaning too much to this side. You can't favor either side. You must be straight." He then lifted Kopa's shoulders a bit off the ground and spaced his paws out slightly. He forced his tail to stop twitching. "There, now you can try to stalk forward."

Kopa nodded once more, afraid to speak and mess himself off. He continued forward with his eyes squeezing shut as he continued forward as his paws gingerly touched the ground. He held his breath in nervousness, since he had no idea what he was doing. He gulped to himself with his eyes squeezed shut. He sat up and shook some grass fronds from his head.

"Not bad," meowed Simba as he licked Kopa's cheek. "You'll get it one day. It took me a while too."

That was exactly making Kopa feel better. He looked down and began to lap at his chest with his eyes downcast.

"Sire!"

Simba turned as Zazu came forward and landed on a rock a few paces from Simba. "What is it, Zazu?"

"It's Nala, sire," answered Zazu as he looked toward priderock. "Something's wrong!"

That was all that Simba needed to hear. He bunched his muscles and darted forward and over Zazu. Zazu gasped in surprise as he continued forward.

Kopa's heart plummeted in his chest as he thought about his mother. He turned to Zazu before he continued forward. He was nowhere near as swift as his brother, but he would certainly try.

He made his way to priderock and saw the group of lionesses around his father, trying to comfort him. They whispered together, but Kopa couldn't hear what they were saying.

"Hello, Kopa."

Kopa turned around and dipped his head to the lioness standing in front of him. "Oh, hello, Aris."

"Are you alright? You seem worried," the yellow lioness commented as he sat before Kopa, raising one of her white paws and licking it before she drew it over her ears.

Kopa nodded slowly. "I am worried. What if something is really wrong. What if she dies?!"

"Now don't speak like that," chided Aris sternly as she narrowed her eyes in anger.

"But, what if something is wrong. What if something bad happens," threatened Kopa with his eyes almost glimmering in tears.

"It won't," growled Aris.

"Aris, stop being so harsh to Kopa. It's a scary time when this happens," chided Aris's mother, Byrose. The lioness strode forward and licked her lips and looked at Kopa.

Aris didn't say anything as she rose to her paws and her mother replaced her sitting by Kopa. Byrose began to lick him between his ears to comfort him and he did start to relax. "Don't worry. Your mother is strong and she has the best two healers in the pridelands with her. She'll be fine."

There was still worry in Kopa's eyes. "But, what if she's not?!"

"Then we'll go from there," chided Byrose gently. "But, always have faith and it will take you far, Kopa. Always have faith."

Kopa nodded, but he wasn't so sure. He stayed with Byrose for the remainder of the night as the rest of the lionesses stayed outside, sharing tongues and whispering to each other. Kopa had fallen asleep fairly early against Byrose's pelt. Kopa purred in his sleep as he rested his head against Byrose's flank as he dozed off.

Kopa groaned as he awoke to someone nudging him. "Wake up, little one," murmured Byrose.

Kopa opened his eyes to look into the she-cat's eyes. "What? I was sleeping," he complained as he rubbed at his eyes.

"I know, but I think that you want to see this," she whispered as she nudged him to his paws and pushed his haunches.

Kopa shook out his fur before he lumbered forward. He gulped as he headed into the dark priderock. He wrinkled his nose at the smell, but he knew that he would probably get used to it. He bounded forward before he saw his mother and father curled together.

"Mom? Dad?"

Nala and Simba both lifted their heads and when they did, Kopa saw something small and fuzzy curled in his mother's paws. Kopa's eyes widened as he licked his lips and strode forward with curiosity showing in his eyes. He sniffed slightly as he thought about what it would be.

"Kopa, meet your baby sister, Kiara," breathed Nala as she licked Kiara between the ears.

Kopa wasn't sure what he thought about a baby sister, but he supposed it couldn't be too bad. He leaped forward slightly and looked at her. He leaned forward and sniffed her before he recoiled.

She smelled weird and she made weird noises. He stuck out his tongue and made a face. "She smells weird!"

"You smelled that weird too," joked Simba as he pulled his son toward him and ruffled his fur between his ears. "You just don't remember!" He began to lick him between the ears. "We're going to be a little bit of a larger family now."

Kopa nodded as he looked at Kiara. "I think I might like her."