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

Chapter 8: Elephant Assult

Kopa managed to drag himself up priderock. He didn't want anyone to ask him what was wrong, but he knew that it was inevitable. Sure enough, the first lion to approach him was Byrose.

"Kopa, is everything alright," she asked with concern lighting in her eyes. Byrose was like Sarabi to him, a grandmother. The two lionesses were best friends and looked after Kopa with an intent eye. He knew that they just cared for him, but he sometimes wished that they cared less.

Kopa forced a smile. "Everything is fine, Byrose."

"I don't think that it is," joined in Sarabi as she came on her friend's side and looked down at her grandson. "I can tell when something is bothering any lion in this pride."

Kopa smiled for real as he purred and pressed his muzzle against his grandmother's. "I know," he laughed as he rubbed against her chest. She arched her back and curled it around his back.

"You know that you can talk to me about anything, right," pressed Sarabi as she licked his ear tip.

Kopa nodded. "Yeah, I know." He shook out each paw in turn. "But, I'm really okay. Just a long time. I'm really hungry," he confessed as his stomach rumbled.

"I'm sure that you are. Well, you'll be happy to know that we brought in two gazelles today. I'm sure that you'll like them," broke in Byrose as she bounded forward with Sarabi and Kopa at her side.

They joined in the rest of the pride and began to eat with Kopa between Byrose and Sarabi. Sarabi reached into a gazelle and pulled out a rather large liver. She set it down in from of him. "Here, this is the fattiest part of the animal. It'll help you grow."

Kopa had never had liver before, but if Sarabi offered it, it had to be good. He dove in and sunk his teeth into the liver, ripping it open. He slurped on it and realized that it was delicious. He ate it in almost no time flat and laid sideways with his stomach slightly bloated. He curled his tail around his stomach and smiled.

"Good," asked Byrose as she licked his ear tip.

Kopa nodded vigorously. "Very good! Thanks."

Byrose nodded before she turned her head and saw that Simba was sitting at the edge of priderock and was gazing out on all of the pridelands around him. The sun hadn't gone down yet and everything looked stunning.

"You might want to go and see if he's okay," suggested Byrose as she nudged his haunches.

Kopa nodded as he bounded forward and came up to his father's side. "Is everything okay, dad?"

Simba turned his head and he couldn't help but smile when he saw his son. He licked Kopa between the ears and Kopa flicked his ears as he laughed. Simba then went serious again as he looked to the pridelands.

"What are you looking at," asked Kopa in curiosity.

"I'm just making sure that everything is running smoothly," answered Simba. "I do this every night and morning. You're going to have to do the same thing when you're king."

Kopa nodded vigorously. "I will, dad! I promise," he vowed with his head turned up.

Suddenly, there was a parading and stomping sound from across the pridelands. The ground began to shake under Kopa's paws slightly with his eyes flickering. He looked up to Simba. "What's going on?"

Simba bounded forward with Kopa at his side. They met Zazu halfway down priderock and the bird's eyes were nearly bulging from his head. "What's going on, Zazu," asked Simba.

"Sire, the elephants! It's a riot and the hyenas are only making it worse," exclaimed Zazu.

"Hyenas," echoed Kopa.

Simba let out a gentle roar as he looked around. "Alright, listen up! I need Byrose, Sarabi, Milik, Hulis, Aris, Lija, and Pailo," announced Simba in hi king voice. "Everyone follow me! We have to stop this before it gets out of hand."

With that the lions charged down priderock and toward the heart of the pridelands, not too far from the watering hole. Alarm showed in Kopa's eyes before he pelted forward.

"Woah!" A paw stretched out and blocked Kopa's path before teeth sunk into his scruff. "I don't think so."

Kopa let out a grown as he looked up to see their healer looking down on him. "But I want to help, Taylani," he protested.

"I know that you," she sympathized. "And you can by staying here and staying out of trouble. That is no place for cubs."

A growl rolled in Kopa's throat. If it had anything to do with hyenas, then he had to make sure that Tabockie wasn't there. He didn't want to think that Tabockie had anything to do with this, but he wasn't sure.

"I can't just stay here," complained Kopa as he thrust a paw against the ground.

Taylani looked over her shoulder and back at him. "Excuse me?"

"Sorry," Kopa puffed before he darted forward. "I have to do this!"

"Kopa," roared Taylani, but Kopa was already gone.

He darted down priderock and into the pridelands. It was getting darker, but the sunset provided just the amount of light that he required to find his way. Besides, it was extremely noisy, so all he had to do was follow the noise of the elephants and the roar of the lions.

"I'm coming," he called to no one in particular.

When he skidded to a halt he was baffled at what he saw. The elephants had worked themselves into such an angry fit that they didn't care if they stomped hyena or lion. The hyenas continued to yip and jab at them to try and force them towards a lion so that a lion would be forced to bring it down and kill it. That would be their dinner. Kopa more than knew the plan.

He narrowed his eyes against the dust as he saw Tabockie was one of the hyenas there. He was purposely steering Aris toward an elephant's pounding foot and the ground was shaking so much that Aris didn't know where to go.

"I'll help you, Aris," called Kopa as he darted forward.

He slammed into Tabockie and the two went rolling. But this time it wasn't for play. This time they were fighting to wound; fighting to kill.

"Why would you do this," grunted Kopa as he struggled to sink his claws into anything but fur. "Don't you care that lions could die?!"

Tabockie looked up. "Why would I care about the likes of lions," spat Tabockie in Kopa's face.

Kopa continued to throw him down as he tried desperately to make him feel pain in anyway that he knew how. Suddenly, there was a cry from far off and Kopa looked up.

"Watch out!"

Kopa and Tabockie leaped away from each other. An elephant was storming toward them and it didn't look like it was going to stop. Tabockie darted out of the way, but Kopa froze in terror. His mouth gaped open as he felt like his life was surely over.

Suddenly, Kopa felt himself fly through the air. He skidded to a halt against the ground as he grunted to himself. He whimpered as he looked up before he heard a whimper and a snap of bones.

"NO!"