Zuka Zama Part II: The Scourge of Kopa | The Lion Guard

31. Bonds of Blood

Bunga continued yelling as he flailed through the air a good distance away from the standoff. The honey badger braced himself to land harshly on the ground, but to his own luck he landed in the branches of a tree. 

"Zuka Zama.... That was Un-Bunga-Lievable!", he stood up on the branch he landed on and took a look around. "Now just where am I?"

"Bunga? Is that you up there?", the honey badger recognized the voice as one of his uncles. 

"Uncle Pumbaa?", the honey badger climbed down from the tree to meet with his two uncles. 

"I thought you were taking the fight to them", Timon put in, also confused about the badger's presence being all the way here. 

Bunga looked around to see that he was indeed back in the clearing that he and the other honey badgers ambushed the jackals, he really flew a long way. 

"Well, we were but that crazy lion, Kopa stole Kion's roar! He used it and I flew all the way back here!", Bunga explained while Timon and Pumbaa listened in awe. "Ohmigosh! Kion! I gotta help him out!" 

-----

"Leave my brother alone!", Kiara yelled at Kopa. She had no idea what to actually do. So many things were happening at once. The Roar was being used by someone else, her own brother was taken over by someone else, and that someone else turns out to be another brother she never knew she had. Before she could process anything something new was revealed to her. The future queen had so many questions. One important question she had was for her parents. Was Kopa telling the truth? Is he the true heir to the throne? Her father mentioned something about Kopa being dead.... Was he supposed to be dead? "I don't know what you're doing to him, but you're gonna let him go right now!" 

"I'm sorry, but I'm not the one who has him", Kopa shook his head and was prepared to explain once again. He knew that they would allow him to, after all he wields the Roar for himself now. 

Kopa looked to his younger brother to explain for him. Kion took a step forward and began, "We share the Roar, we share blood, and his presence." The words of Kion carried the feeling of a truth only known between him and Kopa. 

"I'm sure you know but the Roar is passed down from lion to lion. But though carried by someone different, the Roar itself remains the same. Just how the current kings can communicate with those of the past, so can the bearer of the Roar. But the Roar is not a requirement to do so, another link to the lions of the past is through shared blood. And that's how his words, his influence, his truth. It is because of the blood we share with our uncle Scar that we have heard his voice", Kopa preached.

Nala was visibly shaken by what she heard. "The only thing Scar wants is to destroy the Pride Lands. He took control before and nearly killed all life here!", the queen warned. 

Once again Simba said nothing, this all seemed impossible to him. Everyone knows what happened to Scar. He was defeated by the king himself and from then on the Pride Lands has known peace, save for the occasional Outlands invasion. 

"Scar is gone. Dead! So how is he sharing these 'truths' with you?", Simba challenged. 

"He may be gone but his spirit still lingers. Since the moment I was cast out as a cub he has spoken to me, guided me and has shown me the tyranny of the Pride Lands; of you King Simba", Kopa snarled.

"Scar was a tyrant, not me", Simba responded firmly.

"Of course you're not. At least not in the innocent and obedient eyes of your precious Pridelanders. But in the eyes of us 'heartless' and 'evil' you are the very embodiment of suffering itself!", Kopa shook his head and shrugged to himself. He was letting his emotions get the better of him once again. Now he wasting his words on those who clearly wouldn't even try to understand. So why not get it all over with?

"I suppose I've wasted enough of your time with my pretty little words", turned around to address the ranks in waiting behind him. The royal lions looked on in confusion as one moment Kopa was completely unhinged, now just as quickly he was in a calm demeanor.

"It's up to us to dethrone the king and free ourselves, then!", Kopa roared to the crowd of Outlanders behind him. They all raised their voices in agreement once again. Kopa smiled and turned back to the royal family with a scowl on his face.

"For our freedom!!", Kopa roared once again. The forces behind him began to mobilize and charge towards the unprepared Outlanders.

Simba was quick on his feet and also gave the sign for the Pridelanders to move out as well. Both Outland and Pridelander armies were once again going to clash. Even though the Pridelanders had what seemed to be a clear advantage, with Kopa in possession of the Roar and Kion also in his possession.... The king was completely unsure what would take place on the battlefield. What he was sure of that Roar or no Roar he would defend this land and his family to his last breath.