The Lion King: Time of Kopa

Chapter 22: Pain

^Art is not mine^

Nala ran into the den, tears staining her cheeks. Her lungs hurt from breathing so heavily. She hadn't run like that in a long time. Her head hurt and it made her dizzy. She once more collapsed on the ground in a heavy sob. Simba and the Pride rushed to her, concern clear on their faces.

" Nala? What happened? Where's Kopa?" Simba spoke quickly.

" Kopa... Kidnapped..." Nala's voice was raspy as she whispered between breaths.

Simba's heart dropped.

" Where?! By who?!"

" Outlands..." Nala choked on built up mucus in her throat from crying.

Anger grabbed Simba's heart at Nala's answer. He knew instantly that Zira was behind it. Simba growled as his mind began to race.

" We must save him!" The king roared, his heart burning.

Nala nodded and tried to stand. Her legs shook under her own weight. Pain struck her heart and she collapsed back on the ground with a cry. The Pride surrounded them, standing in shock. Their Queen's cries filled their hearts with empathy, and they suddenly felt was she did.

" Don't we need a plan, my King?" Nuru's voice spoke out over the quiet crowd.

Simba considered the suggestion. He looked down at Nala and nudged her. She looked up and him with dull, bloodshot eyes. She looked defeated.

" I'm a terrible mother," she whispered.

Simba knew at that moment that Nala would never forgive herself.

" It'll be okay. We'll get him back," Simba spoke softly.

Nala put her head back down. She had never felt so weak in her life. Her mind was lost. Her heart was broken. She could barely even stand without her legs giving out underneath her. Simba frowned and lifted his head up to look over the crowd.

" Nuru's right. We need a plan. Quickly, though," Simba announced.

Everyone exchanged glances for answers. When no one spoke, a lioness suggested a familiar idea.

" Perhaps we can use the same plan Nala used to save you," a random lioness offered.

Simba felt his personal pride diminish from the idea. He still felt ashamed that he needed to be saved. Simba regathered himself and thought for a moment. He couldn't think of a better plan so he accepted it.

" Zira might be expecting that same plan, but we will take any chance. I'm getting my son back. One way or another."

The Pride nodded but kept quiet. Nala somehow found the strength to stand up. Her weak legs shook, but nonetheless held her up. The burning pain in her heart made her wince every few seconds. But her love for her son kept her strong enough to try.

Simba watched Nala struggle. His heart felt the same way. But anger made it tolerable. Simba quickly walked to the den entrance and faced his Pride. As he looked at them, he saw fear and worry in everyone's eyes. Sarafina moved to support Nala.

" We will go into the Outlands and create a diversion. Everyone will fight while Nala and I save Kopa. It's not the greatest plan, but it's all we've got," Simba explained.

At that moment, he turned and left the den. Without questions or extra thoughts, everyone ran after him. Nala was able to keep up, despite the grief that overwhelmed her. They all ran towards the Outlands.

~~~

Zira stood in the den entrance. An evil, crooked grin stretched across her face as the lionesses came into view. Zira blinked slowly and sighed at the sight of the orange cub they carried. As they came closer, Zira's victorious grin turned into an amused smile. They dropped him at her feet. Zira looked the young prince over.

Kopa's cheeks were stained with dried tears. His fur was rough and his nose quivered. He shook with fear as he stared up at Zira. The pride all watched with wonder at the meeting of the two enemies. A loud cackle interrupted the silence, making everyone jump.

" This tiny thing is Simba's son?!" Zira laughed harder.

Kopa shook more. The sight of Zira's sharp teeth as she tilted her head back to laugh was more than terrifying. The sky was dark, with nothing but the dim shine of the moon giving light to the world. The moon reflected off of Zira's teeth, making them stand out from their black background.

Zira eventually stopped laughing and looked back down at the trembling Kopa.

" You'll be even easier to kill," Zira spoke deeply.

At that moment, Nuka ran up to Zira's right side. She shot him a glare, but Nuka ignored it.

" Mother, Simba and Nala are on their way! They brought their whole Pride!" Nuka announced.

Kopa saw the wave of anger glaze over Zira's fiery eyes. She stomped her right foreleg, causing Kopa to yelp and jump back in fear. Zira's plan wasn't working anymore. She didn't expect Simba and Nala to react so quickly. The frustrated leader looked over her pride, thinking of a new plan.

" The original plan is lost. I will go to the border and confront them myself. All of you, come with me! Imani and Nasra will watch Kopa and Vitani," Zira ordered.

She looked down at Kopa and smirked. She then bent down and picked him up by the middle. Kopa yelped from this new way of being held. It hurt his sides, and Zira wasn't holding him lightly. Her anger was felt through her grasp on Kopa.

Zira carried him into the den and dropped him. Vitani lifted her head and watched Zira leave as quickly as she came.

Zira returned to her pride and began leading them towards the border to meet the Pridelanders. Imani led Nasra to the den entrance and sat down. Nasra lay beside her without a word.

Nasra- "Assistance"