The Lion King: Legend of Kopa

Chapter Fourteen

    Zira was in her secret den, giving Kovu his morning nursing and grooming. Suddenly, she felt as if Scar was whispering in her ear. It is now time, Zira.
   Zira sat up, a little perplexed. What? She thought.
   He's in the gorge, Zira, waiting for you to come and fulfill my destiny for you.
   Zira crawled out of her den. The sun was now high up in the sky.
   She started in the direction of the gorge. She could smell Kopa and Vitani's fresh scent trail leading to it. When Zira reaches the edge of the gorge, she peered down and saw Kopa sitting alone all the way at the bottom next to an animal skeleton. Vitani was not with him.
   Zira began to prowl down the gorge in Kopa's direction. Her claws were unsheathed—not just to help her maintain her balance on the steep slope—but also in preparation to attack. Today was the day Zira would finally get to slaughter the future king of the Pridelands.
   When Zira made in down to the bottom of the wide ravine, she made he way toward Kopa, accelerating between a brisk trot and a steady jog. Kopa spotted her coming and waved his tail in greeting.
   "Hi, Zira," he said as he approached. He looked pretty nervous, probably because he knew he wasn't supposed to be down here. "Um...uh...we found this cool Mufasa skeleton down here...um...don't worry about Vitani, she's back at Pride Rock getting Nuka."
   Zira eyes the lion skeleton beside Kopa. "What the hell are you doing beside your grandfather's skeleton?" She snarled. "That's the stupidest thing ever. Anyway, I'm not here for Vitani. I'm here to take care of something else." She flashed a bloody grin at Kopa.
   Kopa, now trembling with fear, stood up and began to back away slowly. "Z-Zira..." he stammered, shaking, "what are y-you doing?"
   Without answering, Zira let out an ear-piercing roar that echoed off the sides of the gorge. She raised a paw and swatted it at Kopa as hard as she could, claws fully unsheathed. The swift blow knocked Kopa down to the sun-baked earth. He was now covered in bloody red scratches. "Zira, what are you doing?!" He wailed.
   "I'm getting rid of the cub that never should've been born!" Zira growled. "And soon, your father—the king that never should've become king—will die, too."
   "Zira, no!" Kopa tried to get away. He took off sprinting as fast as he could down the gorge.
   "Get back here, you little brat!" Zira hissed. She took off after him and caught up to him within seconds. Using one paw to pin him to the ground, she turned him onto his back and sliced her sharp claws into his throat. Blood gushed out like crazy. Kopa could no longer speak. His throat had been torn out. He just made desperate choking and gurgling sounds as he squirmed about under Zira's large paw.
   Out of the corner of her eye, Zira saw Zazu fluttering high above. The hornbill looked panicked beyond words. He flew back in the direction of Pride Rock.
   I must finish this task fast! Zira thought to herself. She raked her claws down Kopa's soft belly. Next, she picked him up by the scruff of his neck and then threw him against the ravine wall. Kopa was now covered in so much blood, you wouldn't be able to tell what he was anymore. He wriggled around for a couple seconds, then lay limp. Zira crept up to him and observed him. He wasn't breathing. He was dead.
   Zira felt a pang of satisfaction surge through her. She could feel Scar's spirit praising and congratulating her. Zira felt good, but couldn't hold that feeling for long.
   A sudden angry voice sounded above at the top of the gorge.
   "ZIRA!!!!!"
   Zira glanced up to see Simba and Zazu standing there.
   She was in big trouble now.