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

Chapter 9: Loss

"NO!"

Kopa looked up and saw the broken body of Byrose laying on the ground. She had been trampled by the elephant's foot and now it didn't even look like Byrose anymore. It looked like a creature that had been nearly destroyed by everything. It was the most horrible thing that Kopa had ever seen.

Once Kopa got a grip on himself, he screamed. He bunched his muscles and darted forward.

"No," whispered a voice as Aris came forward and sunk her teeth into Kopa's scruff.

"Let me go," pleaded Kopa as he wiggled and kicked his legs out at Aris.

Aris shook her head gently. "You can't, Kopa. She's gone," Aris murmured as her voice broke and crackled in intense grief for her mother.

"You don't know if she's gone," rasped Kopa as tears started to stream from his eyes. "Let me see her! Let me see her!" He suddenly kicked his hind leg against Aris's throat and Aris yelped as she let him go.

Kopa pelted forward and lowered down at Byrose. He shook her shoulders with grief showing in his eyes. "Come on, Byrose. You have to get up," Kopa urged.

Byrose didn't stir. Kopa then sunk his claws deeper into Byrose's shoulders. "Byrose, come on! You have to get up! You'll feel a lot better when you start walking," sympathized Kopa as he licked her face. "Don't you want to feel better? You promised that you'd teach me how to really hunt. Byrose, please! PLEASE!"

His cries rang out and the other lionesses around him let out murmurs of understand and empathy for the little cub.

Simba sighed as he strode forward and looked at his son. He lowered down and picked up Kopa by the scruff. "Come on. We have to go home."

Kopa shook his head as he continued to thrash around in his father's mouth. "No! I can't leave Byrose," he whimpered.

"You can't help her anymore, Kopa. She's gone," mumbled Simba around the fur in his mouth. He turned away from the view of Byrose as Kopa continued to sob.

Simba's heart broke for his son. He had seen his son hang out with both Sarabi and Byrose. They had hung out so much and taught Kopa so many things. No wonder he was feeling so terrible about Byrose's death.

Simba brought Kopa back to the priderock as the rest of the lionesses brought back Byrose on their shoulders. When they came up, Nala and the rest of the lionesses were waiting for them.

"Let me through," ordered Taylani with Taygar following closely behind. "Anyone with wounds line up to see me or Taygar. I don't want anything to get infected.

The lionesses nodded as Simba continued forward and Nala bolted up to him. "What happened?"

"Elephant stampede," answered Simba quietly. "Byrose didn't make it."

Nala's face fell before she looked at Kopa. Kopa appeared to be sleeping, but Simba knew that he wasn't. He was still whimpering softly and shaking every few heartbeat. He appeared to be in shock.

"How's he taking it," whispered Nala.

"Not well at all," answered Simba in concern. "I'll have Taygar look at him before they go to bed, just to make sure that he's alright."

Nala dipped her head as she allowed Simba into the den and she went to organize everyone else. Simba padded into the den and set Kopa down in his usual place. He didn't sleep as close with his parents as he had when he was little, but it wasn't too far. He licked his son's ear, but Kopa just turned away.

"Can we play," asked Kiara as she lumbered forward, giggling and wiggling her haunches.

Simba shook his head. "I don't think that that's such a good idea, little one," he chided as he licked Kiara.

Kiara frowned before she came over to her brother and began to climb over him. "Kopa, do you want to play," she asked as she poked him in the ribs, causing him to jump.

Kopa leaped away and lashed his tail against the ground. "No."

"Come on. You don't play with me at all," complained Kiara as she dug her thorn sharp claws into his flank. "Please, Kopa, please!"

Kopa arched his back as he turned to his sister, snarling. "I said no!"

Kiara leaped back with tears in her eyes. She then darted over to her father and buried her face into his leg. Simba looked over to Kopa, but Kopa just let out a huff and turned away, resting his head on his paws with a growl.

"Come on. Let's leave your brother alone for a little bit," decided Simba as he licked Kiara between the ears. "He's not in the mood to play."

He then steered his daughter away and left Kopa alone. Kopa sniffed as he rubbed a paw against his eyes, trying to mop up the tears before they would fall. He shook his head as he slumped down even more than he already was.

Kopa wasn't sure how long he had been laying there, but Tayalni came over to him. "Kopa, could you sit up for me? I need to preform an examine to make sure that you're not hurt."

"I'm fine. I didn't even fight," growled Kopa gruffly over his shoulder.

Understanding showed in Taylani's eyes as she touched her nose to his ear. "I know, Kopa, but I still need to make sure," she chided gently. "Besides, it would make me feel a lot better."

"Well, if it would make you feel better than I'll jump right on that," spat Kopa sarcastically.

Taylani paid him no mind as she began to feel around and sniff him between the ears. "I thought that Taygar was supposed to be checking me over."

"He was, but he's with Sarabi right now. She's taking the loss very hard," explained Taylani as she stopped at his shoulders. They were shredded and there was no blood seeping out, but that didn't mean that they weren't injured. She pressed all over and Kopa jumped slightly. "There's a little bruise right under the fur from where you landed, I'm guessing. I'll give you some poppy seeds to help you sleep and then you should be good."

The last thing that Kopa wanted was to take anything, but arguing with Taylani wasn't going to get him anywhere. She had been healing since before Kopa was born. The last thing that he needed to do was aggravate her.

"Okay, Taylani," sighed Kopa.

Tayalin gave him one more lick over the ear. "I'll get you that poppy and be right back," she reassured as she bounded forward and out of the den.

Kopa curled back into a ball and rested his head on his paws. He kept thinking about the way that he had seen Byrose's body. She had just looked so beautiful before and now he didn't even recognize her. She didn't look like a lion anymore and she certainly wasn't beautiful. The last thing that Kopa wanted to do was remember her like that, but it appeared to be the only thing that he could think of.

Taylani came back quickly and dropped a few black seeds in front of him. Kopa lapped them up and grimaced at the taste of them. He swallowed them quickly and curled back into a ball, but not before stretching with his back slightly arching.

"Sweet dreams, Kopa," whispered Taylani.

As if! He thought as he curled into the tightest ball that he could muster and drifted off with a single tear falling from his eyes.