Guilt and Fear-The Untold story of Zira

Chapter forty: Simba's point of view

Simba looked over the pridelands, feeling the breeze blow through his mane. He looked up with the clouds, speaking.

"Father, you've spoken to me before. I just have one request: please, let me speak to Kopa. I want to speak to my son."

All that came as a response was, "Simba, the past is not what you think. You may not speak to your son, yet."

Simba's head went down in sorrow. He was beginning to get frustrated. He could speak to his father. Why couldn't he speak to Kopa? He wanted to see his son again, wanted to hear his voice. Was Mufasa really going to make him wait months and months (again, lions age faster than humans) to talk to Kopa, just as he had made him wait so long before he first spoke to him?

Nala soon joined his side, looking at him lovingly and with sympathy. She then looked up at the sky, to where Simba was talking with Mufasa.

"I know how this feels, Simba. I haven't been able to speak to my brother, while I have been able to communicate with my mother. Trust me, Simba, I miss Kopa as much as you do. But you can't dwell on the past. I'm sorry that I have to be the one to remind you that Kopa's gone." Simba's heart sunk a bit more.

"I know, Nala." He said. "I just feel that had I gotten there sooner, I could've done something."

"There's nothing you could've done, Simba. I'm afraid you can't change the past. But I'm sure Kopa would want you to spend time with Kiara and Kion rather than wish you could go back every free second you get." She then looked a bit afraid. "But Simba, I'm worried."

"Worried about what?" Simba asked, focusing his full attention on her.

"About Kion. He almost became a permanent resident to the outlands just last week."

Now Simba was really paying attention. He looked Nala square in the eye, baffled. "What?"  He asked, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open.

Nala nodded. "Kion's friend Jasiri told me. Apparently, he had gone to the outlands to help Jasiri and her family after some lions took over the hyenas' waterhole. We should have known that Zira and her pack would come back to the outlands, eventually. When Kion and Jasiri made it back to the waterhole, Zira, her children, and her lionesses had taken over the waterhole, and were settling down in a cave near the waterhole. Unfortunately, Zira found out that Kion was our son. She told him that if he followed her into the cave, she would tell him more about the roar. You know that she would know more about the roar's capability than we would, after all, she was Scar's mate, and had known him even before he lost the roar." Simba listened intently to his mate, nodding about every five seconds.

"He agreed to follow her into her cave, and left Jasiri to pretty much look after Nuka. You know how he would most likely hurt himself somehow if there wasn't someone to watch him." Simba nodded again. "Anyways, it was a trap Zira had set up. After she had him cornered, she had a few lionesses set up to block the area. Kion was trapped, and told that he wasn't allowed to go home unless he said that lions should be over every other animal. I'm supposing it was an easy way for Zira to get him to join her revolt against the pridelands. But both you and I know that even if Kion has agreed and said that, there's no chance that Zira would have let him go home." Simba nodded once more, and Nala continued.

"Kion may have still been there now had Jasiri not thought something was fishy and rallied the rest of the guard. I'm worried about Kion, Simba. I'm afraid that Zira and her outlander pack is getting more and more vicious. What if next time she gets him? What if next time she gets Kiara?" Nala shook her head. "And then the hyenas have somehow been able to help Scar return in a way that he can speak to them. What if Scar tries to hurt one of them?"

"Nala, calm down, please." Simba said. "I believe Kiara is old enough to know what to do if she finds herself in Zira's territory. Her friend, as well as Zira's son, Kovu, knows how to get her back safely. Zira wouldn't hurt Kiara unless it would benefit her. But I understand your concern for Kion. Let the rest of the guard stay, Zira has no business with them. But I want you to take Kion and go to where I grew up, in the jungle. We'll send Timon and Pumbaa or Zazu and Ono to check up on him once and a while. Trust me, Nala. Kion will be safe there."

Nala's heart sank, but she knew that if she wanted Kion to remain safe, he would have to leave the pridelands. She nodded, and slowly walked down pride rock to where Kion and Kiara were wrestling. He saw Nala speak to both of them, and as she and Kion began to walk away from the pridelands, Kiara scampered happily up to pride rock, towards Simba. Simba couldn't imagine how he was going to break this news to Kiara.

Kion wasn't going to come back from this trip to the jungle.

It was for his own good.