The Lion King: Kion's Future

Chapter 25: Caught

Warning: this chapter contains violent scenes, gore, and blood which may be unsuitable for younger readers; please read at your own risk.

Back at pride rock

Azuli was crying while Tiifu was comforting her daughter, "There, there, sweetie," Tiifu soothed, "It's going to be alright."

Kion, Kiara, Vitani, Moto, Nala, Zira, and Kovu walked to the trio with concerned looks on their faces.

"Mom," Hodari began, "Kopa and Kali were being mean to us. They claimed that dad has killed our uncle."

Everyone around them gasped. The cubs weren't supposed to know about Kopa's death until they got older. Kopa and Kali bowed their beads while Vitani and Moto glared at them, "Where did you two hear about it?" asked Moto.

"We heard some lionesses talking about it," Kopa admitted.

Vitani was furious, "Didn't I tell you to never eavesdrop on an adult conversation?! Thanks to you two, your cousins and friends may see your uncle Kion and your grandma Zira as monsters!" she scolded.

"You two should be ashamed of yourselves," Zira cut in, looking down at her grandcubs, "Eavesdropping is rude and disrespectful."

"We know," the twins chorused.

"Kopa, we heard that you and Hodari were fighting each other a while ago," said Kovu.

"What are you two fighting about?" Tiifu asked.

Hodari began explaining the incident to everyone while they listened carefully. He remembered that Kali insulted Aisha, her siblings, and Nalia after revealing that Tanabi and Shani were their friends, which led to a massive argument between him, Chaka, Faraji, Azuli, Kali, and Kopa. After that, he told them that Kali scratched him in the face after Kopa shoved Chaka before being hit by Faraji. He tells them that he tried to stop them from fighting until Kopa told him to stay out of it.

He remembered that Azuli tried standing up for him until Kali stood her up. He told Kopa to shut up until he revealed the time his father had killed his uncle before they were born. Hodari and Azuli were about to cry until Kali added more details about his father joining his great-aunt Zira, great-aunt Baraka, and the former outsiders, as well as hurting his aunt Nuru when she was a cub. Azuli ran back to pride rock as he got angry at Kopa's attitude towards him and his sister since he said that Azuli shouldn't be a part of the argument and it was her fault.

Hodari admitted that he hit Kopa and made him fall, which caused Kali to scratch him on his cheek. Then Kopa tackled him, and they both began fighting with Chaka, Faraji, Kali, Jai, and Jata, instigating it by cheering them on. Then the fight was broken up by Aisha, Nama, Nalia, Nya, and Ayanna. And that's when he ran back to pride rock to be with his sister as the others ran behind him afterward, leaving Aisha, Chaka, Faraji, and Nama behind.

"And that's what happened," Hodari concluded.

"So you're the one who started the fight!" Zira accused, glaring at her great-nephew.

"Yes, I did. And it wouldn't have happened if Kopa and Kali kept their mouths shut,"

"You've hit my brother, Hodari!" Kali growled, "I had to do something!"

"Like staying out of our arguments!" Hodari yelled at his cousin, "Don't act like we're not related to you because we are!"

"Ugh! Just shut up already!"

"You shut up!"

"Alright, you two! That's enough!" Kiara scolded, stopping the argument, "Hodari, you know better than to start fights. Kopa and Kali, you two shouldn't be listening to the grown-up conversation. What you both did was rude and disrespectful."