Zuka Zama Part II: The Scourge of Kopa | The Lion Guard

41. Full Circle

Simba and Kopa broke away from one another, Kopa drawing back to create some distance between them. Simba panted heavily, it had been a long time since he had a fight like this. He didn't know just how long he could keep this up. He had a few small nicks on his shoulder, but they weren't going to stop him.

"Kopa! We don't have to do this!", Simba protested. Kopa scoffed and threw himself at Simba, pinning him down. The king struggled against his son, doing everything he could to not be overpowered.

"You just don't get it do you? I not fighting for myself! I'm doing all this for all the hyenas, jackals and vultures..... All of them stuck in that wasteland that you keep them in!", Kopa strained against Simba's strength. "You have no idea the things I've seen there. You live here with not a care in the world while there are mothers who can't feed their young, those who are starving, cubs born into the punishment of a crime they never committed! I'm the only one who can help them, the only one who can save them. And now I can't even do that anymore..."

Simba continued pushing against Kopa when he noticed a few wet spots on his face. He blinked and gasped, looking up at the lion pushing against him, tears were falling from Kopa's eyes.

"What's even the point of trying to explain it to you again? It doesn't even matter. You never cared about them, just like you never cared about me", Kopa sniffed. "All of this your fault! How could you let this happen?", Simba's strength faltered, the other lion's words hit him. While Kopa was distracted Simba pushed against him, pushing the lion on his back and pinning him down this time.

"Kopa. I...", Simba gave a sigh and released his son. "Kopa, please listen to me."

Kopa stood up and shook himself off. He huffed in anger, but still sat down to listen to what explanation the king possibly had. Kion and Bunga also stepped a bit closer on seeing the fight between them end so abruptly.

"Kopa....When I thought I lost you, your mother and I were devastated. The whole Pride Lands mourned for you for days on end. You were a part of us that was taken away before your life had truly begun. Even in when we had Kiara, the pain of knowing she would never meet her brother was always there", Simba started.

"But I wasn't gone. I survived and I woke up on the edge of some forest lost and alone", Kopa argued, his voice becoming raw with emotion.

"At the time you're injuries were grave. Deep cuts and scars. All the blood. You weren't breathing and Rafiki couldn't find a pulse either. By all definition you were dead....Or so we thought", Simba explained further, feeling a heavy guilt about what he had done. Was there more I could have done all those years ago? I cast my own son out down the river to never be seen again. "We set up a ceremony for your passing. As we were grieving we sent your body down the riverbank as old custom for cubs."

Kopa was still angry, but he began to understand and feel some kind of light feeling in his chest. So, they didn't abandon me, an inner voice said. But there was still so many questions he had. "Enough about me. What about the Outlands? The hyenas? The jackal? Even your own kind?", Kopa asked further.

Simba turned to Kopa directly with the air only a king could have. A look that made the questioning lion want to shrink a bit.

"Before you were born hyenas assisted the very lion I watched kill my own father. Even after that they tried to hunt me down and kill me. Years later I returned to this very land is a state of ruin just shy of the Outlands. It was thanks to my friends who beat back the hyenas that I was about to finally defeat Scar and put an end to the ruin", Simba recounted the tale of his life. Kopa, Kion and Bunga all listened intently. "Soon after that the hyenas were punished for their crimes and banished."