The Lion King 3: The Lost King

Chapter Two

ONE YEAR LATER

Kopa groaned, collapsing. After a year of traveling, he had finally reached his limit.

"Kopa, c'mon. Get up."

"Oh, Nailah. I can't." Kopa groaned. "Why would I? I hate walking."

"Come on, Kopa. There has to be a pride somewhere that you can take over." Nailah murmured, nudging Kopa's belly. "If not for you, then for me."

"Nailah, you never even explained why you're not with your birthpride." Kopa murmured.

"And you didn't do me the favor, either." Nailah pointed out. "And until you do, my mouth is shut."

Kopa sighed. "Fine, then. The past doesn't matter anyway."

"Then let's go-"

"Hey! You!"

Nailah was cut off by the hostile run of lions. Kopa looked at Nailah. "A new king just took over."

"What?" Nailah stared at Kopa, confused.

"Don't you smell it? And they have two male lion scents on them, one faint and the other recent."

Nailah looked at Kopa. "Of course. You're a male. That's the first thing you smell."

"Who are you?" The leading lioness from the strange group demanded. Kopa recognized the strange look in her eyes at once. He was a male. The lead lion hasn't gotten to them yet.

"I'm Kopa, and this is Nailah. We're not looking for trouble."

"Trouble's come." A low snarl echoed from behind the trio of lionesses. A medium-sized lion with a gold mane stepped forward. How weak can he be? How did he beat the other lion? Was the other lion dying when he came in or what?

"Attack me if you want my pride." The lion stared up at Kopa. Kopa looked back at Nailah for permission. She nodded.

Kopa shook his mane and stood tall, staring threateningly at the lion. "I, Kopa of-" Kopa cut himself off. He needed to say his birth pride if he wasn't in a pride currently. Or he had to claim Prideless, and accept one lioness of the leader's choosing against him in addition. But he had to. He had too.

"I, Kopa, formerly of the Pride Lands." Kopa heard gasps of shock as he labeled himself from the Pride Lands. Usually grown lions didn't have to leave in the Pride Lands. An especially large gasp came from Nailah. She had thought him to be an ordinary lion, not from one of the biggest, most well-known prides in the world. "Challenge the leader before me in a duel for this Pride."

"I, Jabari, leader of the Jabaripride, accept this challenge to duel for my leadership of my Pride."

Jabari wasted no time. He leaped at Kopa, but it was a weak leap that Kopa batted away halfheartedly. More lionesses from Jabari's Pride came, all with the same look. Kopa kept fighting Jabari's weak moves off easily, until Jabari was panting on the floor. "Fight...for....real...claws...out!"

Kopa unsheathed his claws and waited. Jabari continued his weak attacks until he was a bloodied mess and Kopa had no scratches. Kopa walked up to Jabari's panting, bloody figure and put a paw on his neck. "Please, Jabari, don't make me hurt you more. I don't want to kill you."

"I...will...not...give...up..." Jabari coughed. He weakly lifted his paw and tried to hit Kopa.

"Kopa, just finish him. He's idiotic." Nailah murmured. Kopa sighed. He unsheathed his claws once again and swiped them across Jabari's throat. Jabari shook, his legs kicking, before going limp. Kopa looked down at the body before placing his paw on Jabari's still flank.

"I, Kopa, claim this Jabari's Pride, and rename it Kopapride."

"Kopa! Kopa!" The gathered lionesses cheered. The roaring slowly died down as a lioness walked up defiantly.

"Abiola, step up." The queen growled. A tiny little cub stepped forward, staring up with terror at Kopa. "This is Jabari's son. Abiola. Born just two days ago. If you are any king, you must kill him. He is the heir of Jabari."

Kopa stared at the cub. Nailah stepped up. "Come on, Kopa. He's just a little worthless cub."

"A cub that has a family. A cub that has a future. What if that cub was you, or your son? Would you want him killed then?"

"Where is this coming from?" A lioness asked.

"He's of the Pride Lands." A lioness called out. "Of course he's dumb enough to follow their ways."

"This cub shall be kept alive, and shall leave exactly at three years of age."

Nailah sighed. "I hope you know what you're doing, Kopa. Because that cub could be the end of your reign."