TLK - Kopa and Vitani: Unexpected Love

Kopa and Vitani: Unexpected Love is a TLK/TLG fanfiction written by Caldafox. It is set after the events of The Lion King II: Simba's Pride and the events of The Lion Guard season 3 finale, "Return to the Pride Lands". It is told in chapters (parts); there are 10 chapters and an Epilogue. 
==Plot==
Please note: The chapters of this story and its plot underwent severe editing. Things are now much different than the original story.
One day on a patrol, Vitani and her Lion Guard find a lion named Kopa, who claims to be a long-lost son of Simba and Nala. The lionesses take Kopa to the King and Queen of the Pride Lands, and reveal that Kopa was telling the truth. His parents are delighted to see him; Kopa explains that he had run off years ago, angry at his parents' overprotectiveness.
Soon, Kopa is fitting in with Simba's pride again. Kiara and her older brother get to know each other, Tiifu and Zuri develop crushes on him, and he is liked by nearly everyone - except Vitani, who is still wary of him. He tries to be friendly with her, but she is uninterested. When Kion and Rani come to meet Kopa, Vitani gets slightly more friendly with him during three weeks' time. She finally admits that he is indeed her friend after they both team up to defeat a large crocodile.
After a night of looking at the stars, Kopa and Vitani start developing feelings for each other. Vitani even gets annoyed at Tiifu and Zuri's flirting with Kopa. When Kopa works up the nerve to confess his feelings, his old friend Asante comes back, and she gives him advice on his growing friendship with Vitani. Her and Vitani become acquainted, but Vitani is slightly curious of why she has to be dismissed all the time from conversations between Kopa and Asante.
Asante goes back to the Outlands after helping her friend. At night, Kopa confesses his fondness for Vitani in a meadow, but she plays hard-to-get before also admitting her feelings for him. The two become a pair.
In the Epilogue, Vitani and Kopa are married, Tiifu and Zuri develop crushes on Baliyo, Kiara and Kovu become the rulers of the Pride Lands, with Simba and Nala retiring, and Vitani and Kopa are amongst the several lions in Simba's pride who have cubs, two named Safiya and Nuka II.
==Chapters==
======Chapter 1 - Unexpected Arrival======
Kopa comes back to the Pride Lands and explains his backstory. 
======Chapter 2 - Slightly Wary======
Kopa begins fitting in Simba's pride again; Vitani expresses her wariness of Kopa. 
======Chapter 3 - Openness======
Vitani warms up to Kopa slightly, while Dotty, who was sent to the Tree of Life by Simba, finally reaches Kion and Rani.
======Chapter 4 - A Long Journey======
Kion, Rani, Fuli, Azaad, and Dotty head back to the Pride Lands to see Kopa. Vitani has grown a little more friendly with Kopa in the 3 weeks' time.
======Chapter 5 - Meetings======
Kion meets his long-lost brother, while Kiara starts suspecting Kopa "likes" Vitani.
======Chapter 6 - Getting Closer======
Kopa and Vitani fight off a a huge crocodile, and Vitani finally admits Kopa is her friend.
======Chapter 7 - At the Stars======
Kopa and Vitani stargaze together and start to bond.
Due to its length, this chapter is published in two parts on this wiki:
*Unexpected Love - Chapter 7 (pt 1)
*Unexpected Love - Chapter 7 (pt 2)
======Chapter 8 - Catching Feelings======
Vitani starts realizing she loves Kopa, and he starts realizing he loves her. However, she doesn't want to admit it. Asante comes back at the chapter's end.
Due to its length, this chapter is published in two parts on this wiki:
*Unexpected Love - Chapter 8 (pt 1)
*Unexpected Love - Chapter 8 (pt 2)
======Chapter 9 - Unforeseen======
It appears Kopa and Asante don't want Vitani involved in their conversations, when in reality they are discussing Kopa's feelings for her. 
Due to its length, this chapter is published in two parts on this wiki: 
*Unexpected Love - Chapter 9 (pt. 1)
*Unexpected Love - Chapter 9 (pt. 2)
======Chapter 10 - Finally Together======
Asante goes back to the Outlands, while Kopa realizes he can't stall telling Vitani he loves her. Kopa finds Vitani that night, confesses his feelings, and she does, too; the two become a pair.
Due to its length, this chapter is published in two parts on this wiki:
*Unexpected Love - Chapter 10 (pt. 1)
*Unexpected Love - Chapter 10 (pt. 2)
======Epilogue======
Kopa and Vitani are married at the Tree of Life, having two cubs 5 months later. Kiara and Kovu become the rulers of the Pride Lands.
==Characters==
===Major===
The following Lion King/Guard characters are major characters in this fanfic, frequently seen or mentioned.
Vitani: The main protagonist who is skilled, wary, diligent and somewhat reserved. She is also slightly hard-to-get in some scenes.
Kopa: The secondary protagonist who is friendly, caring and thoughtful.
Kiara: Kopa's outgoing younger sister.
Kovu: Kiara's mate, Vitani's younger brother, who is sort of quiet.
Imara: The strongest in Vitani's Lion Guard.
Kasi: The fastest in Vitani's Lion Guard.
Shabaha: The bravest in Vitani's Lion Guard.
Tazama: The keenest of sight in Vitani's Lion Guard.
Asante: Kopa's polite and kindly best friend from cubhood, a female hyena.
Tiifu and Zuri: Two girly friends of Kiara's who have crushes on Kopa.
===Supporting===
The following Lion King/Guard characters are frequent characters in this fanfic, not seen as much as others.
Kion: Kopa and Kiara's younger brother.
Rani: Kion's mate.
Fuli and Azaad: Outgoing cheetah friends of Kion and Rani.
Simba and Nala: The thoughtful and kind King and Queen of the Pride Lands who are the parents of Kopa, Kiara and Kion.
Dotty: Former Outsider lioness who is sort of grumpy.
===Minor===
The following Lion King/Guard characters are seen in this fanfic with very small roles.
Baliyo: Rani's brother.
Bunga and Binga: Two energetic honey badgers, friends of Kion and Baliyo.
Digger: Former Outsider lioness who is friends with Vitani.
Beauty Spot: Former Outsider lioness who is friends with Vitani.
Jiona and Fahari: Often referred to as "Makucha's cronies" by several lions, these two friends of Makucha make one appearance and several mentions.
===Fanmade===
The following Lion King/Guard characters were created by Caldafox.
Nadim: A rogue lion who trespasses on others' territories, lives in the Pride Lands, and is an annoyance to Vitani's Guard.
Haki and Asani: Nadim's youngest cubs who are obnoxious and inconsiderate.
Kasi's mate: Kasi's unnamed mate is the father of Kamaria.
Makeda: The older sister of Haki and Asani.
Safiya: The daughter of Kopa and Vitani.
Nuka II: The son of Kopa and Vitani.
Penda: Fuli and Azaad's daughter.
Tani: Spotty's daughter.
Kamaria: Kasi's daughter,
Majuto and Miya: Dotty's daughters.
Badru, Kheri and Maua: Kiara and Kovu's unnamed cubs.
===Mentioned===
The following Lion King/Guard characters are mentioned, but do not appear in the flesh.
Makucha: A leopard who attacked Kopa and Asante before the time in the fanfic took place.
Chuluun: A snow leopard who attacked Kopa and Asante before the time in the fanfic took place.
Nirmala and Surak: The healer at the Tree of Life (Nirmala), and Rani and Baliyo's uncle (Surak), are mentioned only once by name.
Nadim's mate: Nadim's mate, Hasina, has one unnamed mention by Vitani. (Fanmade)
Makeda: Haki and Asani's older sister who "just minded her own business", instead of being rude and reckless. (Fanmade)
Scar: The antagonist of The Lion King is mentioned by Vitani and Kopa briefly.
Zira: The mother of Nuka, Vitani and Kovu is mentioned briefly by Vitani.
Mohatu: The first King of the Pride Lands is mentioned by Kopa when he points him out in the starry sky. Kopa says he was always reminded of his father when he saw Mohatu away from home.
Nuka: Vitani and Kovu's older brother is mentioned in the Epilogue. Kopa and Vitani's son, Nuka II, looks like and is named after him.
==Locations==
The following are the main spotlighted locations in this fanfic.
*Pride Lands
*Pride Rock
*Lair of the Lion Guard
*Tree of Life
*Outlands
*Forbidden waterhole
==Trivia==
*The fanfic's title is given at the end of the Epilogue.
*It was published originally on Commaful.com, which has recently gone into archive mode. The story was much more popular on The Lion King Fanon Wiki.
*How Kopa and Vitani fell in love in Chapter 10 is a mix of how Kovu and Kiara and Simba and Nala did: They play around for a little bit, like Simba and Nala, and end up nuzzling like Kovu and Kiara did at the end of "Love Will Find A Way."
**In Chapter 7, the stargazing is also derived from Kovu and Kiara's stargazing in TLK II.
*Several of Caldafox's fanmade TLK characters are introduced in the Epilogue.
*This is Caldafox's most popular Lion King fanfiction. 
*This story is different from most Kopa x Vitani fanfics, mainly because they did not fall in love immediately and never met as cubs.
*It turned a year old in Oct-Nov 2023.
==Follow-ups==
Several fanfictions have been written that take place just before, during, or immediately after the events of this fanfiction. The follow-ups detail several events in the story.
*The Lion King: Kopa's Tale details Kopa's life.
*The Lion Guard: The Quick and the Quiet focuses on Kasi's love story with the rogue lion who ended up becoming her mate.
*The Lion Guard: Friendly Frenemies tells the whole story of how Vitani, Tiifu and Zuri got on better terms.
*The Lion Guard: Baliyo's Admirers shows in detail how Tiifu and Zuri developed crushes on Baliyo at Kopa and Vitani's wedding.
*The Lion King: The Grandmothers' Farewell shows an interaction between Kopa, Vitani, Sarabi and Sarafina, and shows how Sarabi feels about being without Mufasa.
*Kopa and Vitani's Wedding details the beginning of the titular characters' wedding.
*The Lion Guard: Welcome Back to the Outlands shows Asante's new life after going back to her home.
==Gallery==
File:Unexpected cover.png
File:Unexpected cover new.jpg|The newer hand-drawn (by Caldafox) cover. Inspired by a picture from HydraCarina.
File:Kopa and Vitani stargaze.jpg|Kopa and Vitani stargaze.
File:Kopa and Vitani - first nuzzle.jpg|Kopa and Vitani's first nuzzle.
File:Kopani star snuggle.jpg|Kopa and Vitani cuddle after confessing their love.
File:Kopani wedding.jpg|Kopa and Vitani are married.
Category:The Lion Guard Stories
Category:Love Stories
Category:Fanfiction
Category:Caldafox's Fanfics
Category:Caldafox