The Lion Guard: A Heartbreaking Day

* Author's Note: This is a flashback to when Kopa is abducted, prior to Kiara's birth.
* Another Author's Note: This fanfic was updated on May 22nd, 2024, nine years after publication.
* Author's Note #3: Kopa, Kora, and Afua are voiced by Braelyn Rankins and Jeremy Maguire respectively in this fanfic.
---- 
One day in the Outlands, Fisi had assembled his clan.
"Everyone! I'm sure you're all wondering why I've called you here." he began.
His gaze swept across the assembled hyenas, noticing his daughter, Asante huddled beside her mother, Shenzi.
"From what my spies have uncovered, Simba and his queen are due to welcome another cub, which gives us the perfect advantage to truly avenge our loss in the battle for Pride Rock." he continued.
In the crowd, Shenzi and Banzai exchanged a confused glance.
"I'm not sure I understand what you’re getting at, dear." Shenzi told him.
"My plan is to target Simba’s little cub, Kopa. We’re going to abduct him and hold him hostage in the Elephant Graveyard. We’ll make sure Simba and his pride never find him." Fisi announced.
His gaze rested on Asante, who stared back at him, horrified.
"Come here, Asante. I have a very special role for you in this scheme." he said.
At a nudge from Shenzi, Asante made her way to stand in front of her father, conscious of the members of the clan observing her.
"As you are friends with young Kopa, you will be the one who lures him into our trap." Fisi explained.
"What if I don't want to do this? I don't want to hurt him." Asante objected.
"You have an advantage, the king and queen, as well as Kopa,trust you. You will take part in this plan." Fisi insisted.
"Will Kopa be hurt?" Asante questioned.
"Of course not, my dear. All I want is to hold him prisoner." Fisi assured her, turning away so Asante wouldn't notice the glimmer in his eyes, betraying his true intentions.
Shenzi came up to stand beside Fisi.
"Listen to your father. He always has the best intentions of the clan at heart." she said.
"Since you are the only member of our clan welcome in the Pridelands, you will need to go to Pride Rock and invite Kopa to the Water Hole tomorrow to play." Fisi told Asante.
"Yes, Dad." Asante said reluctantly.
"One more thing, should you try and help Kopa after we've captured him, you will be severely punished. Understand?" Fisi said.
"Yes." Asante said resignedly.
She turned around, beginning to make her way towards the border.
Concurrently, Simba had returned to Pride Rock from a patrol, being welcomed by Kopa, who rushed up to his father.
"Dad! How was the patrol?" Kopa asked excitedly.
Simba chuckled, his expression softening as he returned Kopa’s enthusiastic greeting.
"It was fine, son. Have you had a good day?" he asked,
Kopa nodded emphatically.
"What do you want to do, Dad? Wanna wrestle? Or play Baobab Ball?" he asked.
"In a moment, son. Let me say hello to your mother." Simba said warmly, ruffling Kopa’s head tuft affectionately.
He headed inside the den, Kopa following close beside him.
Inside the den, Nala was settled in a nest of moss. She was heavily pregnant with her and Simba's second-born cub.
"How are you today, my love?" Simba asked, bending down to nuzzle Nala affectionately.
"I'm doing fine now, Kopa's been keeping me on my paws today." Nala said warmly.
"Dad, do you think I’ll have a little brother, or a little sister?" Kopa asked from beside Simba.
"Well, Kopa. That's hard to determine. Of course what's most important is that the cub is heathy." Simba told him.
Just then, Zazu flew up to them, Asante slowly following behind him.
"What's going on, Zazu?" Simba questioned.
"I saw young Asante heading this way, Simba. It appears she has a question for Kopa." Zazu announced.
Kopa came forward to greet Asante.
"Hi, Asante. Wuqt's up?" he asked her.
"Hi, Kopa. Do you want to play at the Water Hole with me tomorrow? If it's okay with your parents." Asante said.
Kopa glanced over at Simba and Nala.
"Can I play with her tomorrow?" he asked.
"It's fine with us." Nala told him.
"Just be back by sunhigh." Simba added.
Kopa turned back to Asante.
"See you tomorrow." he said brightly.
"Yeah, see you." Asante replied, though there was a noticeable hint of apprehension in her tone, unnoticed by Kopa and his parents.
Zazu cleared his throat.
"I shall escort her back to the border." he said.
"Thank you, Zazu." Simba said.
----
The next morning, Kopa bounded up to his parents, who were settled down outside the den. 
"I'm going to meet Asante now." he told them.
"All right, son. Have a good time." Simba said.
"Remember to be back by sunhigh." Nala added.
Zazu flew up to them, landing beside Kopa.
"Come, Kopa. Let's go." he said.
Simba and Nala watched as the two of them began to head towards the Water Hole.
At that same moment, Fisi’s Clan had ventured to the Water Hole. Fisi and Asante were waiting by an acacia tree, the rest of the clan assembled behind a bush.
"All right, Asante. I'm sure you're aware of your part in this plan. Just keep the little prince distracted so we can ambush him." Fisi said. 
"Yes, Dad." Asante said dejectedly.
Suddenly, Shenzi spoke up from her spot at the front of the clan.
"The little prince is coming, and he's with Simba's little stooge." she reported.
"All right, everyone. Get ready." Fisi ordered.
He disappeared into the bushes as Kopa and Zazu approached.
Kopa bounded forward excitedly to greet Asante, who approached him at a slower pace. Zazu settled down in an a nearby tree.
"Hi, Asante." Kopa said brightly.
Asante glanced nervously behind her at the bush where the rest of the clan was sheltered.
"Hi, Kopa." she responded.
"You okay? You seem worried about something." Kopa observed.
"I'm fine." Asante said quickly.
"So, what do you want to do? Wanna play Baobab Ball?" Kopa asked. 
Asante shook her head.
"Not today." she replied.
"Why not?" Kopa questioned confusedly.
"Because my daughter is assisting me in my latest scheme against your family." Fisi said suddenly, emerging from the bush, followed by the rest of the clan.
"D-Dad, what are you doing? I thought you were supposed to wait for my signal." Asante said, a note of disparity in her tone as she cast an anxious glance at Kopa.
"We didn't say anything about waiting for a signal, did we? I wanted to get this scheme over with." Fisi said. 
"Asante? What's going on?" Kopa asked nervously.
Before Asante could answer, Fisi suddenly lunged forward, knocking Kopa backwards.
"Hyenas! Attack!" he shouted.
Horrified, Kopa glanced around as the hyenas closed in on him. As Shenzi leapt towards him, Kopa jumped back, unsheathing his claws to slice at her cheek, leaving deep scratches.
As the hyenas came closer, Kopa darted away from them, stumbling on the pathway back to Pride Rock. 
"Help!" Kopa shouted frantically.
He glanced around anxiously, a look of relief in his eyes as he caught sight of Zazu. 
"Zazu! Help-" Kopa was suddenly cut off by Banzai slamming into him, knocking him to the ground.
Hearing Kopa's shouts, Zazu looked over at him, his eyes widening with horror.
"Hold on, young Kopa! I will get help!" he called, immediately flying off in the direction of Pride Rock.
"Hurry!" Kopa shrieked. 
Banzai lunged at him, grasping his scruff with his teeth.
"All right, let's get him back to the Outlands before Simba and Nala get here." Fisi ordered.
"Where is Asante?" Shenzi asked suddenly, noticing her daughter wasn’t among the gathered hyenas.
"Never mind. She can find her own way home." Fisi told her.
The hyenas immediately began to make their way towards the border, Kopa struggling to escape from Banzai's grasp without success.
One they'd left, Asante crept out from her hiding place, gazing sadly towards the Outlands border.
"I'm sorry, Kopa." Asante said softly.
By this point, Zazu had reached Pride Rock, noticing Simba and Nala outside the den.
"Simba! Nala!" he called frantically.
"Zazu? What's happened?" Simba asked, noticing the expression on the hornbill’s face.
"Where's Kopa?!" Nala inquired frantically.
"He-He's been attacked! Fisi and his clan ambushed him!" Zazu exclaimed.
"What! Where is he?" Simba demanded.
"I am not sure, Simba." Zazu replied.
"We can't just stand here and do nothing." Nala said desperately.
"Zazu, take us to the Water Hole." Simba ordered.
Zazu nodded, beginning to lead the way towards the Water Hole.
When they arrived, they found the terrain deserted, a lone baobab ball the only sign that anyone had been there that day.
"Simba, Kopa should be here. Where is our son?" Nala said.
"We'll find him, Nala. The hyenas couldn't have gotten far." Simba assured her, though his tone didn't match his comforting words. 
Suddenly, Nala noticed movement in the bushes nearby, and she caught a familiar scent, recognizing it from when she would escort Kopa to the Water Hole to play with Asante.
"Asante? Come out, dear." Nala requested gently.
Slowly, Asante emerged from her hiding place, coming over to the two of them.
"What happened, Asante?" Nala questioned softly.
"Where is our cub?" Simba demanded forcefully, his tone rising as his anger deepened. Zazu settled down on Simba's shoulder.
"It's all my fault! I should've warned him when I had the chance, but I couldn't." Asante blurted out.
"Warned him? About what?" Nala asked.
"My father, Fisi. He wanted to ambush Kopa and keep him prisoner in the Outlands." Asante continued.
"Why? What does he want with our son?" Simba questioned.
"I don't know, your majesty." Asante replied.
"Asante, you were the last one who saw our son. You must know something." Simba urged.
"Simba, getting angry with Asante won't help us find Kopa. Please, calm down." Nala put in gently.
"Nala, our son is missing. You know Fisi will kill him if he has the chance. We must rescue him." Simba protested.
"Let me talk to her." Nala requested.
She stepped closer to Asante, who shrank back apprehensively.
"Asante, Simba, and I don't blame you for your father abducting Kopa. Do you know what he wanted with him?" Nala asked softly.
"H-He wanted to avenge what happened during the battle of Pride Rock. Kopa was going to be abducted and held hostage in the Elephant Graveyard. Dad didn't expect you to be able to find him.” Asante revealed.
"Thank you for telling us, dear. You're not to blame for what your father did. We know you've always been a good friend to Kopa." Nala reassured.
"I never meant for this to happen." Asante said tearfully.
"We understand. We don't blame you." Nala reassured her.
"Thank you, your majesties." Asante said.
"Of course. Would you like an escort to get you back home?" Nala asked.
"No, thank you. I can manage by myself." Asante told her.
"Go on then." Simba said.
Asante turned, bounding off quickly.
As they watched her head towards the border, Nala suddenly gasped, her eyes widening as she felt a familiar, sharp pain course through her body. Closing her eyes, she let out a sharp cry as the pain intensified.
"The baby's coming, Simba. Right now." she managed to say through gasps of pain.
"Now? Are you sure, my love?" Simba asked, his voice rising with panic and anxiety.
"Yes, I-I'm sure. We need to get home." Nala told him.
"All right. We'll get you back to Pride Rock." Simba assured her.
He glanced up at Zazu, who had settled down in the branches of a nearby tree.
"Assemble search parties to find Kopa, but don't raise any more alarm than necessary about where he is." Simba instructed him.
"Of course. I'll send Rafiki to Pride Rock as well." Zazu said, immediately spreading his wings, and flying off.
Simba wrapped his tail around Nala, beginning to guide her towards Pride Rock.
By the time they arrived, Nala was leaning heavily against Simba's shoulder, her eyes closed as she concentrated on the spasms continuing to course through her.
As they approached the den, they saw Rafiki waiting with Sarafina and Sarabi, Timon and Pumbaa had assembled with the rest of the pride nearby.
Sarafina's eyes immediately widened with alarm as she caught sight of her daughter, and she rushed towards them. 
"Nala! Are you all right?" she asked anxiously.
"Our cub is coming, Sarafina. We need to get her inside, now." Simba answered quickly.
Having arrived at Pride Rock, Rafiki came forward, an expression of concern in his eyes as he examined Nala closely.
"Yes, it is time. We must get the queen inside. However, I am afraid I do not have many herbs with me to help in the delivery." he said, leaning closer to listen to Nala's heartbeat.
He straightened up, exchanging a glance with Simba and Sarafina. 
"Her heart is racing. If she is distressed, it will not make the delivery of the cub easy." he said.
Sarafina pushed past him, helping Simba guide Nala into the den.
"Can't you give her anything?" she asked over her shoulder.
"I can give her a mixture of thyme and burnet. I'm afraid I don’t have very much." Rafiki said.
"What are you waiting for?" Simba interrupted.
"Of course. Let us deliver this cub into the Circle of Life." Rafiki agreed.
He opened the gourd on his staff, hurriedly dropping the herbs into a larger gourd filled with water, and mixing them quickly.
He brought the gourd over to Nala, who had been settled into her nest by Simba and Sarafina, helping her to swallow the mixture. Nala drank the mixture shakily, before collapsing into the nest.
"It will not be much longer." Rafiki assured her.
He gently placed his palms on either side of Nala’s belly as another spasm of pain overtook her.
"You must push now, Nala." he instructed her.
Nala shrieked loudly, straining her muscles as a spasm rippled along her flank. As she pushed, a small, wet bundle slid from underneath her tail, landing in the soft moss and feathers that lined her nest.
From his spot beside Nala, Simba leaned closer, his eyes softening with pride and affection as he gazed at his cub. He reached over to gently nuzzle the small bundle, nipping the transparent layer that surrounded it.
"W-We have a daughter, my love." Simba said softly.
"Is she okay?" Nala asked anxiously, straining to look at her cub as Simba gently guided her to rest against Nala’s flank.
“Yes, she is perfect.” Simba assured her.
Sarafina came closer to them, watching her granddaughter affectionately as she nuzzled into Nala's fur, latching onto a teat.
"I'm very proud of you, my darling. I know your father would’ve loved to see this moment." she said.
"T-Thanks, Mom." Nala said shakily.
At that moment, Sarabi appeared in the entrance to the den, having stayed outside during the delivery.
"Is everything all right?" she asked concernedly.
"Yes, everything is fine now. You can come inside and meet your granddaughter." Simba told her.
Sarabi came closer, her eyes shining with affection as she gazed at her granddaughter, who was being gently washed by Sarafina.
"She's beautiful, my darling." Sarabi said.
"Thanks, Mom." Simba replied.
"Where's Kopa?" Sarabi asked suddenly.
"Yes, where is he? He should be here to meet his sister." Sarafina added, a note of confusion in her tone.
Simba and Nala exchanged a nervous look between them.
Before Simba could explain, Zazu appeared at the entrance to the den.
"I have news from the search parties." Zazu announced.
"Search parties? What happened, Simba?" Sarabi asked worriedly.
"Tell us, Simba." Sarafina urged.
Simba opened his mouth to reply, suddenly struck by a feeling of intense grief and anxiety.
"Shall I tell them what happened?" Zazu offered.
Simba nodded, glancing gratefully at the hornbill.
"This morning, Kopa was abducted by Fisi and his hyenas. Search parties were sent out at once, but I regret to inform you that they have not brought back good news. It appears they were unable to find him." Zazu said regrettably.
Nala let out a loud wail, startling her cub away from her belly as she cried out in agony. Rafiki quickly moved to steady the cub as she veered towards the edge of the nest, gently guiding her back towards her mother.
Barely comprehending Sarafina and Sarabi’s shrieks of grief as the news registered, Simba managed to make his way towards Nala, collapsing into the nest beside her. 
"We will keep searching, my love. I promise." he said desperately, feeling Nala shake against him.
"Our son is gone!" Nala cried.
Rafiki cleared his throat pointedly, his own grief shining in his eyes as he heard the news.
"The rest of the pride must be told of what has happened. Nala and your cub must be given time to rest. I shall look after them." he told Simba, seeing the distress in Nala’s eyes.
Simba nodded.
"Please take care of them. I'll be right back." he said, brushing his muzzle against Nala's affectionately, before standing up and ushering Sarafina, Sarabi, and Zazu outside.
Outside, the rest of the pride, along with Timon and Pumbaa were gathered near the entrance to the den, already sensing something was wrong due to the earlier abrupt arrival of Simba and Nala.
“Everyone! I'm sure you're all anxious to hear about what's happened today." Simba began.
"What is it? Is Nala all right?" Ayla questioned anxiously.
“Nala is recovering well. We've welcomed a beautiful daughter into the Circle of Life." Simba announced.
He waited for the murmurs of congratulations to quiet down before continuing.
"Unfortunately, there is not just good news to report today. This morning, Kopa was abducted by the hyenas and taken hostage. Search parties were sent out, but Zazu has reported that they were not successful in finding him. Though we will send more out as soon as possible." Simba said, struggling to hold back the tears brimming in his eyes.
From beside his mother, Tama, Afua stepped forward, gazing up at Simba. 
"Is Kopa d-dead, Simba?" Afua asked shakily.
Simba's expression softened.
"I’m afraid we don't know, Afua." Simba told him gently.
Beside Afua, Kora nudged him, a look of grief reflected in his brown eyes.
"Well, there probably is a chance he!s alive, isn't there?" he asked.
"Of course there is. Kopa's the toughest cub I know." Afua said determinedly.
Watching the two cubs fondly, Simba was interrupted out of his thoughts by Rafiki gently placing a palm on his shoulder.
"Nala and your cub are sleeping now. I have given Nala some thyme to calm her. I shall see you tomorrow at the presentation." he said.
"Thank you, Rafiki." Simba told him.
He went inside the den, making his way over to where Nala lay curled around their cub in their nest. Simba settled beside her, gently brushing his tail against Nala's flank.
----
The next morning, the pride, along with Timon and Pumbaa gathered outside the den. Zazu flying up as Simba and Nala approached Rafiki, who was standing on the edge of the peak, overlooking the gathered animals.
Rafiki embraced Simba and Nala warmly, before lifting the young cub from Nala's mouth. He lifted her up, the gathered animals immediately erupting into cheers before bowing respectfully. 
"I present, her royal highness, Princess Kiara!" Rafiki announced. 
Feeling a familiar breeze sweep through him, Simba raised his head, his heart lifting at the sight of Mufasa's spirit in the clouds, watching Kiara affectionately.
"Please look after Kopa, Dad. Help him find his way home to us someday." Simba murmured softly, glancing over at Nala.
Nala returned his gaze lovingly, her eyes shining with hidden grief as she observed the animals cheering for their daughter.
After Rafiki had anointed Kiara, he brought her over to them, moving closer to allow Nala to nuzzle her lovingly. Simba joined them, taking his own turn to nuzzle his daughter.
As he gazed at his cub, Simba felt a strong sense of protectiveness and determination in his heart.
"I promise, I will never let anything bad happen to you. You will always be protected, my darling." he said softly.
That night, after Rafiki had returned to his tree, he gazed for a few heartbeats at the painting of Kopa, before beginning to paint an image of Kiara beside it.
"Mufasa, this certainly has been a devastating time for the kingdom. I implore you to look after Kopa, keep him safe until he can make his way home to his family." he said softly.
As he finished painting Kiara, he softly touched a palm to the painting of Kopa.
"I am sure Kiara will provide much brightness in these dark times." he said softly, feeling a breeze sweep around him.
Category:Fanfiction
Category:Ginnyharry4ever
Category:Ginny's Fanfics
Category:Flashback Fanfics