KOPA’S STORY PART TWO

 As soon as they got back to Pride Rock, Simba and Nala were surrounded by the curiosity and concern of their pride. Simba lay on a small ledge that jutted out of Pride Rock, thinking over what had just happened. How come he had seen that lioness only a few days ago, her and her small band had been accepted as part of the pride for about two and a half years now, at first early in Scar’s reign (for two years), and then carrying on into Simba’s reign, which was almost half a year. Why had she attacked Nala? Was it out of jealousy? How could he have been so blind to what was going on around him? He hadn’t seen her and her band for a few days until now, but he still hadn’t been suspicious of anything. He had been too lost in the joys of being a parent. Simba sighed. Already, so early on in his reign he seemed to be mucking everything up. Anyone could make a better king than him. Suddenly he heard a commotion coming from far below him. Simba ran down the rocky path from his secret cove, and he didn’t stop running all the way down to the large tilted ledge. All his pride was crowded at the edge, and were staring and growling at something that was on the ground, trying to get past them into Pride Rock. “What’s wrong?” He asked Femi, a young lioness of the pride. 

 “She’s returned!” Femi cried. All the lionesses had formed a protective circle around Nala. Simba bustled his way to the front and stared far down below him. There she was. Zira. Her and her small band of lionesses stared right back up at them. Zira’s cheek was bruised and swollen, and her followers lurked behind her like shadows. He couldn’t deny it; it must have been her who he had given a blow across the face. It was her who had led the ambush, and the other lionesses had realised this too. 

 “How dare you attack my daughter!” Sarafina snarled at Zira. “Banish her Simba! Send her and her pride back to wherever she came from!” There were ferocious roars of approval from the Pridelanders. Simba looked hard at Zira. Some of her followers, hearing the roars of agreement, had started to tremble with fear at the thought of being banished. But her gaze remained the same, full of anger and loathing. It was obvious that she felt no remorse for the fact that she had tried to murder Nala. Her belly was extremely swollen…with Scar’s cub. The very thought of his old enemy and all that he’d done filled Simba with hate.

 “I won’t banish you today, Zira.” Simba called down to her. “You are heavy with cub and if I send you away you will not survive.” Then he narrowed his eyes. “If I sent you to your death out of hate, that makes me no better than you, doesn’t it?” Zira snarled at him. “However,” Simba continued “even though you are allowed to stay, hunt, and shelter in The Pridelands, you are not allowed inside Pride Rock.” Zira remained calm, shrugged and led her lions away into the grass. Insults were thrown after them like rocks, and when they were sure she was far away, the Golden Pride went back inside.

 “I think you should have sent her packing!” Timone yelled at Simba “Now she’s sort of half-in and half-out! What’dya call that?” Simba shrugged and padded off, leaving Timone confused and clueless. Pumbaa trotted over to him

“I think Simba is simply undecided to whether he should banish her or not. You gotta admit, it’s a tough choice to make Timone! So Simba is just gonna give her one last chance to prove she’s not a traitor. If she steps out of line, THEN he’ll send her packing!” Timone stared at Pumbaa like he was the stupidest creature on earth.

“Pumbaa, that’s completely idiotic, even for someone like you!” He shouted and stormed away, not realising this was the truth

 The days past with no-one really noticing, and the days were relatively peaceful and quiet. There were one or two sightings of Zira and her clan, huddled by a baobab tree or in the shade of some rocks, or drinking at a waterhole. These times were tense and uneasy, and the Pridelanders would snap at heu>

 As soon as they got back to Pride Rock, Simba and Nala were surrounded by the curiosity and concern of their pride. Simba lay on a small ledge that jutted out of Pride Rock, thinking over what had just happened. How come he had seen that lioness only a few days ago, her and her small band had been accepted as part of the pride for about two and a half years now, at first early in Scar’s reign (for two years), and then carrying on into Simba’s reign, which was almost half a year. Why had she attacked Nala? Was it out of jealousy? How could he have been so blind to what was going on around him? He hadn’t seen her and her band for a few days until now, but he still hadn’t been suspicious of anything. He had been too lost in the joys of being a parent. Simba sighed. Already, so early on in his reign he seemed to be mucking everything up. Anyone could make a better king than him. Suddenly he heard a commotion coming from far below him. Simba ran down the rocky path from his secret cove, and he didn’t stop running all the way down to the large tilted ledge. All his pride was crowded at the edge, and were staring and growling at something that was on the ground, trying to get past them into Pride Rock. “What’s wrong?” He asked Femi, a young lioness of the pride. 

 “She’s returned!” Femi cried. All the lionesses had formed a protective circle around Nala. Simba bustled his way to the front and stared far down below him. There she was. Zira. Her and her small band of lionesses stared right back up at them. Zira’s cheek was bruised and swollen, and her followers lurked behind her like shadows. He couldn’t deny it; it must have been her who he had given a blow across the face. It was her who had led the ambush, and the other lionesses had realised this too. 

 “How dare you attack my daughter!” Sarafina snarled at Zira. “Banish her Simba! Send her and her pride back to wherever she came from!” There were ferocious roars of approval from the Pridelanders. Simba looked hard at Zira. Some of her followers, hearing the roars of agreement, had started to tremble with fear at the thought of being banished. But her gaze remained the same, full of anger and loathing. It was obvious that she felt no remorse for the fact that she had tried to murder Nala. Her belly was extremely swollen…with Scar’s cub. The very thought of his old enemy and all that he’d done filled Simba with hate.

 “I won’t banish you today, Zira.” Simba called down to her. “You are heavy with cub and if I send you away you will not survive.” Then he narrowed his eyes. “If I sent you to your death out of hate, that makes me no better than you, doesn’t it?” Zira snarled at him. “However,” Simba continued “even though you are allowed to stay, hunt, and shelter in The Pridelands, you are not allowed inside Pride Rock.” Zira remained calm, shrugged and led her lions away into the grass. Insults were thrown after them like rocks, and when they were sure she was far away, the Golden Pride went back inside.

 “I think you should have sent her packing!” Timone yelled at Simba “Now she’s sort of half-in and half-out! What’dya call that?” Simba shrugged and padded off, leaving Timone confused and clueless. Pumbaa trotted over to him

“I think Simba is simply undecided to whether he should banish her or not. You gotta admit, it’s a tough choice to make Timone! So Simba is just gonna give her one last chance to prove she’s not a traitor. If she steps out of line, THEN he’ll send her packing!” Timone stared at Pumbaa like he was the stupidest creature on earth.

“Pumbaa, that’s completely idiotic, even for someone like you!” He shouted and stormed away, not realising this was the truth

r if she came too near. But apart from that, things were happy and life was easy. Nala was getting more and more excited about the fact that she was going to be a mother, but she became more clumsy and slow over the month, and now had to stay in Pride rock for her health.

 Zira was a different story. A couple of days after she had been cut off from Pride Rock, she had given birth in a small cave. She had lifted up Scar’s second child, her heart filled with hope, and yes, yes! It was a boy! She could have shrieked with triumph, her plan could work; her son could overthrow Simba and take back what was rightfully Scars! Scar lived on in his son. She smiled at the thought. Then she started to whisper words into the air, and any other lion but her would have assumed she was talking to herself.

 “Don’t worry; I will avenge you, my love. Please be proud of your son, he will one day rise to power and take back what was ours. The Pridelands were meant to be yours and mine! And we will have it if we are patient. It just takes time, that’s all, my love. Then all of our enemies will pay! THEY WILL ALL PAY! EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM!” Her cub started to whimper at the sudden harshness of her voice. She paid no attention to it, for she was thinking of what she would call him. After some thought, she whispered the name “Nuka” in his ear. She would take Nuka back to her pride (of sorts, since she was still counted as a sort of Pridelander) as soon as he was strong enough to walk. The sooner the better, in her opinion.

 The months past and summer came. The grasshoppers hummed in the grass, and the herds (with lots of young) migrated from all around, so the Pridelands were chock-a-block with life, new and fresh. There was plenty to eat and everyone was well fed. Then one morning, as the sun rose, lighting up the sky with red and gold, all the animals heard a special call that summoned them to Pride Rock. They all came, the gazelle, the elephants, the giraffes, the buffalos, the rhinos, the

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