Kopa sat at the edge of priderock, three moons later. He hadn't spoken much and he had tried his best not to eat. It just didn't seem right that he could continue to live his life while Byrose's life had ended, because of him.
"Kopa, I think that we need to talk," murmured a voice behind him.
Kopa reluctantly sat up as he turned to look at who was speaking, even though he already knew. It was his father and he knew that this conversation had been coming. He reluctantly looked to him and nodded.
Simba came over and sat beside his son. "Kopa, you can't keep doing this to yourself."
"Doing what," asked Kopa dumbly.
"Doing this," answered Simba. "Not eating, not going on, not living. Do you really want to remain idle here?"
"I'm not idle," snapped Kopa as he bared his teeth in a snarl. "I just don't want to do any of those things. What does it matter to you anyway?!"
Simba would have usually reprimanded his son for saying such things, but he decided against it. He didn't want things to get any worse between the two of them. "Tell you what, how about you take Kiara exploring. She's been dying to go and I have a lot of things to do today."
"But, dad-"
"Not all day. Just for half the day and then you can come back. I doubt she'll last that long anyway. Okay, can you do that for me," asked Simba.
Kopa let out a groan before he rolled his eyes and nodded. "Alright," he muttered as he rose to his paws and marched forward with his eyes rolling. "Come on, scrap!"
Kiara looked up from where she was playing gently with Nala. She giggled before she bounded forward, nearly jumping on his back and bringing him down.
Kopa spiraled around and bared his teeth at his sister. "Listen here. You will follow my rules and do what I say, got it," he growled angrily.
Kiara gulped as she took a step back with almost tears in her eyes. "Y-Yes," she stammered.
Kopa narrowed his eyes to slits as he continued forward on ginger paws. "Good," he breathed as he streaked forward. "Follow me."
Kiara bounded after him, careful about the distance that she had between herself and her brother. The last thing that she wanted to do was aggravate him anymore. "Where are we going?"
"I don't know and I really don't care," muttered Kopa over his shoulder. "As long as it's not here!"
Kiara looked around before she saw a butterfly fluttering above. She wiggled her haunches before she leaped into the air, clasping her paws together. She laughed, before she realized that she hadn't caught anything. Her head hunt as the butterfly came back into view. She smiled broadly as she lowered back down into a crouch and continued to leap after the butterfly.
Meanwhile, Kopa continued forward before he realized that there wasn't a crunch of paws behind him. He looked around before he caught sight of her prowling around after the butterfly.
"Unbelievable," he grumbled as he stalked forward after her. He had led her a way that brought them a little close to the Outlands and he didn't want her to accidentally cross the border. The last thing that he wanted was something that could clearly have been avoided happening between them.
He bounded after her and looked around. "Kiara! Get back here!"
Kiara turned around and rolled her eyes. "No! You've been a bossyfur this entire time! You're not that much older than me and I don't have to listen to you," she called beck before she continued to branch after the butterfly.
However, Kopa suddenly realized that Kiara was only heartbeats from crossing the border. "Kiara, come here! It's dangerous to cross over there!"
"Make me," sniffed Kiara as she continued forward. "I'm not coming back."
Kopa swore to himself before he bounded forward and grasped his teeth into her scruff and dragged her backwards. She let out a squeal before Kopa thrust her behind a large rock. He bared his teeth at her with his ears shoved forward.
Before either of them could speak, there was that voice that Kopa knew.
"Come on, Nuka, aren't you supposed to be watching me," asked the silky voice of the lioness.
A little bit of a browner lion stepped out with a black mane. He began to scratch at his ear and Kopa swore that he saw mites. "No one can watch you, Vitani. To watch you, you actually have to be in one place and not leave it! You're more of a bother than anything."
Vitani turned around to look at Nuka. "Fine then. You should go back and I'll be there in a little bit. How about that?"
"How about that," mocked Nuka. "Fine by me."
With that he stormed away as Kopa leaned forward. He just couldn't stop himself. He wanted to get a better look at her, which wasn't the best idea.
"Kopa, what are you doing," asked Kiara.
Kopa didn't say anything as Vitani spiraled around and seemed not as angry as Kopa had thought as she marched over to him. "What are you doing here again, pridelander."
"I have a name, you know. It's Kopa," he introduced as he puffed out his chest. "I don't believe that I caught yours."
The lioness seemed a bit taken back, but she nodded. "Vitani," she answered as she swayed her tail back and forth. "But, you didn't answer my question. Why are on the Outlands?"
Kopa moved aside to show Vitani Kiara. "Following my sister, unfortunately. Such a pain in the tail."
Vitani sneered. "I know all about it. I have a little brother too and he's such a pain in my tail."
Kopa couldn't help but laugh. He was just glad that he was able to talk to Vitani instead of just watching her from a distance. Not that he did it often, but sometimes he just couldn't help himself.
"Vitani, would you like to hunt? I just figured it out and I thought that we could bring something down a little bigger if we work together," Kopa suggested.
Vitani looked a bit taken back that he had asked her to hunt on her territory. But, she eventually nodded and waved her tail. "Alright, Kopa. Let's go hunting."
"What about me," complained Kiara in a high pitched voice.
Kopa knew that he couldn't tell Kiara to go back or she would squeal on him, but he didn't want her with him and Vitani either. "Stay right there and we'll come back with some food."
Kiara plastered her ears against her head as she rolled her eyes. "O-kay," she muttered with a sigh in the middle as she lowered down and rested her head in the dirt.
"Little sisters. So overdramatic," muttered Kopa as he bounded after Vitani and she let out a laugh of agreement. Kopa's heart soared.
"What's the biggest thing that you've ever brought down," asked Vitani as she looked around.
Kopa sucked at his lip. "An antelope, but it was really small," Kopa explained as he lifted his claws and brought them together to show how small.
"That's pretty impressive. I've only ever caught a jackal and they're really gamey," explained Vitani as she opened her mouth to scent the air. "We don't get a lot of prey here."
Kopa could certainly see that. He couldn't tell exactly, but he was pretty sure that pray hadn't passed this way in quite sometime. He tried to scent the air, but all he could taste was dust and vulture.
"There," whispered Vitani as she began to stalk forward with Kopa at her side. It took a while before Kopa realized that it was a hare. It was certainly nothing that would fill either of them up, but it would do for now. He hadn't had hare in a long time and he actually liked the taste.
Vitani began to veer to the right while Kopa took the cue to go to the left. They began to box the hare in before Kopa lunged forward. The hare turned and ran right into Vitani's waiting paws. She sunk her teeth into it's neck, breaking it easily. She then sat up and looked at Kopa.
"That was a fantastic catch," he praised.
She shrugged. "It was average. I've done better," she meowed modestly as she picked it up and began to carry it back to Kiara.
"I can take it," offered Kopa, knowing what his father always did for his mother. "I'm strong."
Vitani's eyes glowed in amusement. "I'm sure that you are?" She may have said it in amusement, but she did hand over the hare.
Kopa took it in his teeth and carried it proudly. He hoped that he had impressed Vitani, but he doubted so. She seemed to be a kind of cold lioness, but he kind of liked that.
They made their way back to Kiara and Kopa was beyond relieved that Kiara had stayed and actually listened to him. He dropped the hare in front of her and her eyes glowed as she lowered her head and began to nibble at the hare. Kope and Vitani joined in and polished off the hare.
"That was good. We should really do that again sometime," Kopa suggested hopefully.
Vitani gave a slow nod. "Yeah, I think that we should. How about tomorrow?"
Kopa nodded vigorously. "Sounds good. Let's go, Kiara. See you tomorrow, Vitani!"
"See ya, Kopa," Vitani called back and Kopa couldn't help but smile when she said his name.
Kiara rolled her eyes. "What's up with you and that lioness?"
"Nothing, she's just my friend," he replied.
Kiara laughed. "I can't wait to tell mom and dad that you actually have a friend!"
Kopa's heart fell in his chest. He then spiraled around to face Kirara as he narrowed his eyes. "Don't you dare say a word. You can't say a word!"
"Why," whimpered Kiara.
Kopa couldn't tell her why and he gulped. "Just because I said so, okay? Please Kiara."
Kiara thought for a heartbeat and Kopa was nervous. But, she eventually dipped her head and nodded. "Okay, Kopa. But, can I come tomorrow if I don't tell."
Kopa stifled a groan as he nodded. "Okay, fine." It wasn't idea, but if this is what it took to see Vitani again, it was worth it.