Simba snored to himself as he dozed off, rolling sideways and on his back. His eyes were slightly closed as he let out another deep snore. Nala was snoozing beside him with her head almost rested on his shoulder. Their tails were intertwined as they slept together.
There was suddenly something hard colliding with Simba's head. Simba grumbled half to himself as he turned his head away from the assault. He then felt something sharp sink into his ear and he raised a massive paw to batter at the one who had bitten his ear.
"Dad, wake up!"
"This is strangely familiar," whispered Simba as he lifted his head and turned it, seeing Kopa standing a few inches from his nose, baring down on him.
Kopa continued to push his dad. "Come on! You said that you would show me the territory tonight, right? You promised," he whined.
Simba grunted to himself as he nodded. "Alright, alright," he murmured as his jaws stretched wide in a yawn. "I'm awake."
Nale then purred as she rolled over, signaling that she was awake as well. She licked her mate's cheek longingly as Simba turned back to her. "Are you sure that you don't want to take him for that day?"
"Dad," complained Kopa as he thrust his paw against the ground in frustration. "Come on!"
"I don't think so," whispered Nala as she wrapped her paws around Simba's neck and touched noses to his. She rose from his flank and leaped over him gingerly, pulling Kopa toward her in a quick grooming session.
Kopa hissed in frustration as he thrust his paws against his mother's chest, but she wasn't finished grooming. "Mom! I'm too old for grooming. I can do it myself."
Nala lifted his tuft of fur and he growled as he pressed it flat. "I'll believe it when I see it." She then lifted her paws as Kopa leaped from her grip and shook out his flank as he turned to his father.
Simba sat up as he began to groom his own flank until he saw Kopa gazing at him. Simba gave his mane one final shake before he strode forward and nudged his son as he did so. Kopa seemed to have a spring to his step as he launched forward in excitement. Simba looked over his shoulder and dipped his head to her, signaling that he would see her later.
The two made their way down the slant that lead to the bottom of Priderock. "Follow me and stick close."
"I thought that the pridelands are safe," protested Kopa.
"It is, but you still have to keep alert," explained Simba as he strode forward with his large paws resting against the ground gingerly. "I remember when I was younger all the trouble your mother and I got in when we were younger."
Kopa puffed out his chest in pride. "I won't get into any trouble!"
"Oh, I highly doubt that," joked Simba. "But, I suppose it's the thought that counts."
Kopa flicked his tail over his back before he saw a grasshopper leap forward out of the corner of his eye. He then lowered down into a crouch and growled before he leaped after the grasshopper. He thrust a paw at it before the grasshopper leaped right over his head. He growled under his breath before he leaped back at it.
Simba had stopped and was watching his son, rolling his eyes a bit. "What are you doing?"
"Hunting," answered Kopa before a grasshopper launched itself into the air and collided with Kopa's muzzle. Kopa lunged forward and landed on his face, grunting in embarrassment.
Simba came over and nudged Kopa to his paws, shoving his muzzle under Kopa's chest and hauled him upward. "You have quite a lot of work to do if that is your definition of hunting, but we'll work on that later. Now, we're just supposed to explore the territory. Your mother will have my hide if we do anymore."
"Alright," sighed Kopa as he bounded forward at his father's side.
They strode forward as they continued through the tall grass. Kopa saw gazelles leaping through the air as well as numerous birds flying through the air. He couldn't help but smile as her head lifted with his chest puffing out in pride and purred as he continued to skirt forward.
"Dad, how far does our territory stretch," asked Kopa.
Simba arched his neck to speak into his ear. "Well, Kopa, everything the light touches is our territory. If you're not on priderock then you can tell by the scent markers. If it smells like us then it's our territory. Nothing is dark and has the scent of death. We take pride in our lands."
Kopa nodded his head vigorously as his hackles wiggled slightly. "What's in the dark part?"
"That's the Outlands. You must never go there, Kopa. It's were the lions who supported your great uncle lived. Promise me you won't go there," growled Simba sternly.
Kopa looked up at his father for what seemed like an eternity before he dipped his head with his ears twitching. "I promise," he squeaked like a kit.
Simba gave him a firm lick between the ears. "Good. As long as you stay on our side you'll be fine. No one will mess with you if you're here."
"Is there anyone to play with," inquired Kopa.
Simba shrugged. "I'm not sure. I had your mother, but I don't think that there are any other cubs being born at this time. It was a fluke that Nala was born at the same time."
Kopa hung his head as he thought about not having anyone to play with. He had playing on his own since he was a kit and he just wanted a friend. He didn't want to be lonely for the rest of his life. He didn't care what that friend looked like. It could be a frog for all he cared.
"Come on," called Simba over his shoulder as he plodded on. "We have plenty more territory to cover!"
They bounded forward and Kopa matched his father stride for stride. He looked around at everything else as his eyes widened in shock at how big everything was around him. He opened his mouth to taste the air. He could scent numerous animals and water. His stomach began to rumble as he looked at his father.
"Dad, do you think that we can stop to eat," inquired Kopa hopefully.
Simba licked his lips as he tasted the air. "Alright," he murmured as he touched his nose to Kopa's ear. "Follow me."
Kopa lunged after his father as they made their way to the watering hole. He licked his lips as he veered over to the log. He lowered down Simba pressed his broad head against the log. He gave it a firm push and it rolled away. Kopa saw numerous grubs and bugs crawling around and oozing stuff that he didn't even know.
"Ewe! Dad, what's that," gasped Kopa in disgust.
Simba lowered his head and slurped up a slug, licking his lips in hunger. "Just try it. I didn't think that I would like it either, but I really liked it." He lifted a paw and drew the grub toward his son.
Kopa arched his neck as he sniffed a beetle. He touched his nose to it as the beetle snapped at his nose. Kopa darted back in surprise and wrinkled his nose. "I don't think so," he muttered.
"Just try it," he pressed as flicked the beetle on it's back so that it couldn't snap at Kopa.
Kopa closed his eyes as he leaned forward, scooping the beetle into his mouth with his tongue. Kopa shuddered at first with the taste, but then he kind of enjoyed the crunch. He swallowed it before he smiled. "Crunchy!"
A purr rolled in the back of Simba's throat. "Try some of the slimy ones. They're quite satisfying."
Kopa began to plod forward, gulping and slurping anything that he could get his mouth around. Once he was finished and full he laid beside the log, running a paw through his whiskers and licking at it to savor the taste.
"That was almost as good as antelope," burped Kopa.
"You better not catch you mother hearing that," joked Simba as he settled down besides his son. "Your mother doesn't exactly encourage the way that I used to live, so we don't usually talk much about it."
"Okay," agreed Kopa as he arched his back in a massive stretch with his head slightly lifted.
Simba did the same as he nudged Kopa. "Come on. We still have more territory to see before the end of the day."
Kopa let out a small groan. "But, my paws feel like they're going to fall off!"
"You'll get used to it," chided Simba. "A king must be ready to defend all of his territory, even if he is tired."
Kopa stifled a sigh as he followed his father once more. The rest of the territory seemed almost twice the length of the rest of it. He just wanted to sit down and rest, but his father continued on.
The only time that Simba stopped was to remind Kopa to keep up the pace. Kopa pelted forward and shook out his fur as he breathed heavily, nearly panting.
They eventually made it back to Priderock and Kopa was nearly dead on his paws. He stopped at the foot of Priderock and shook his head, thinking that he wouldn't be able to make it the entire way up to Priderock.
"Come on," chided Simba as he picked up his son by the scruff and set him on his shoulders. "If mom asks I'll tell her that you did well today."
Kopa yawned as he buried his head in his father's mane. "Thanks, dad."
Simba chuckled as he scaled Priderock without even thinking about it. When they made their way to the top, Nala was waiting. She bounded forward and touched noses to her mate before she watched as Kopa slid from his father's shoulders.
"How did it go," she asked.
Kopa forced his eyes to bright and eager. "Awesome! There's so much territory to keep track of."
Nala laughed. "Yes, there is. But, I know that you'll be great at it," she reassured as she touched her claw tip to Kopa's nose and he raised his paw to batter hers away. But, Nala pulled back just in time and she butted her head against Kopa's flank.
"I'm going to learn to hunt next," boated Kopa. "Right, dad?"
Nala turned to Simba quizzically before Simba drew forward. "Sure, we'll talk about that," he mumbled as he pushed his head against Kopa's flank to steer him into Priderock.
Nala drew toward her mate and intertwined tails. "So how did it really go?"
"Good. He got tired toward the end, but I did too my first day. He's really eager for hunting, but he wants to find a friend," he explained.
Nala then exchanged a glance with Simba. "I had you when I was younger. That was probably how I got through the first part of my life."
Simba licked Nala's ear affectionately. "Do you think that he'll be alright. I worry about him."
"I worry about him too, but I'm sure that he'l be fine," reassured Nala as she pressed against him and looked into Priderock. They then leaned against each other with the sunset illuminating their golden pelts. It was just how it used to be.