Lone Lion: Kopa's Story (Lion King Fanfiction)

Chapter 3: Territory

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."