The Lion King: Time of Kopa

Chapter 32: Change of Heart

^Art is not mine^

Simba and Nala stood proudly in front of their Pride. The meeting was taking place in the den. Kopa sat between his parents, curious as to what the sudden announcement was. Vitani sat on the other side of Nala. She silently wished she didn't have to sit through a boring meeting.

The rest of the Pride sat in a wide circle, eager to hear their King's claim. This way, Simba could make eye contact with each individual. Once everyone was settled, Simba took a deep breath and began his announcement.

" As you all know, Vitani is now part of the Pride. At first, I wasn't happy at all with this considering she is Zira's daughter. But after too much time I realized that I've made a mistake. I've been treating you all wrong." Simba looked at Nala and Kopa," I've treated my family wrong."

Nala smiled warmly at Simba. Everything he was doing meant so much to her. The King returned his gaze to his Pride.

" I apologize for my immature behavior. I caused tension between Nala and me, which affected the entire Pride. It took me some time to think things through, and I have come to the decision that I will accept Vitani."

The Pride erupted with gasps. They didn't expect their stubborn King to make such a decision. Simba grew a bit nervous and forced himself to continue.

" This means that Vitani is to be protected, and kept safe from the abusive paws of Zira. Vitani is one of us now," Simba finished.

He looked at Nala and received a nod of approval. He turned to Kopa and directly acknowledged him as everyone else was dismissed.

" I apologize the most to you, my son. I should not have treated your friend like that. And I was wrong to treat you the same way. In fact, I am proud of you for helping Vitani in escaping Zira, and vise versa."

Kopa smiled and nuzzled Simba.

" It's okay, Dad. I know you were just worried about my safety. I'll be careful. I promise."

Simba laughed before resting his eyes on Vitani. She looked at the ground with a deep frown. Her mind seemed elsewhere. Simba tilted his head.

" Are you okay, Vitani?" He asked gently.

Vitani turned her head to look at him with a glare.

" I'm fine."

Kopa turned to her and frowned sympathetically.

" You always say you're fine, but your voice makes it hard to believe."

Vitani growled at him," I'm fine!"

At that moment, Nala nudged Simba.

" Lets go to sleep. It's been a long day. Come on, Cubs."

" Hold on, Mom. I want to talk to Vitani," Kopa kept his eyes on Vitani.

Simba and Nala exchanged glances. Nala shrugged.

" Alright, but come to bed soon. Both of you."

At that, the King and Queen left the cubs alone. Kopa inched closer to Vitani.

" Vitani?"

" What do you want?" Her tone was very snappy.

Kopa wasn't going to back down this time. He wanted her to open up. He wanted her to be happy. And right now, she wasn't close to either of those.

" What do I want? I want you to be happy. I want you to trust me," Kopa began.

Vitani was now making direct eye contact. She kept a strong glare, and made sure her tone of voice wouldn't change.

" Why?"

" Because I care about you. I care about your happiness. And I want you to know that I'll always be here for you. If you need someone, I'll be here. You can tell me anything. I promise," Kopa smiled.

Vitani's glare disappeared. She stared at him with a blank face, not knowing how to respond. She found it difficult to take her eyes off of his. They were locked in eye contact. With much force, Vitani was eventually able to break it. She turned away and blushed.

Blushed? She's never done that before. Vitani closed her eyes tightly. Her heart sped up and she suddenly felt nervous. A small grin appeared on her face, but she didn't want Kopa to see it.

She thought over what Kopa said. Nobody's ever said something like that to her. None of the Outlanders were nice enough to offer their loyalty like that, except Imani. Vitani also noticed that Kopa was extremely patient with her. She secretly appreciated this.

" Thanks..." Vitani shakily responded.

Kopa smiled wide at the response. In all honesty, he didn't expect the snappy lioness to thank him. He jumped up and down happily. He was so easy to please.

" Kopa! Vitani! Bed time!" Nala's voice echoed through the den.

Kopa stopped his small celebration and began heading towards his parents. Vitani stood and followed behind, thoughts filling her mind. She liked the new way she was being treated. She felt like she actually meant something to others. It felt good, and the kindness around her was beginning to push her bad side away.

Vitani found a place next to Kopa and Nala and curled up. She felt her heart flutter with happiness, something she hadn't felt in a long time. Vitani closed her eyes and sighed in contentedness.

Perhaps... this is where I belong.