The Lion Guard: An Unexpected Reunion

Author's Note: This fanfic was updated on June 14th, 2024, nine years after publication.
----
On a quiet morning in the Pridelands, Zazu had awoken promptly at sunrise, setting off immediately on his morning flight around the kingdom, in order to provide Simba with the morning report.
"I cannot wait to share today's morning report with the king." he said, his eyes scanning the terrain below him in order to ensure all was well.
As Zazu was preparing to complete his flight,  he felt satisfied that all was in order and each inhabitant was safe and sound in their grazing grounds. Suddenly, his attention was drawn below him to the border closest to the Water Hole. There, he saw a rogue lion, who was slowly making his way across the border. 
"Quite strange, there hasn't been trouble in the Pridelands for seasons. I wonder what he's doing here." Zazu mused.
Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the lion appeared to be severely malnourished and underfed, though he looked to be full-grown.
"I must inform Simba and Nala at once. They will want to hear about this." Zazu decided, beginning to make his way towards Pride Rock.
At that moment, the pride had awoken and was preparing to begin their day. Simba and Nala had decided to go on a walk together, Nala having delegated leadership of the morning hunt over to Sarabi, who had assembled the hunting party and set off. 
"Are you ready, my love?" Simba asked.
Nala nodded, her expression softening as Kion came up to her, followed closely by Kiara and Kovu.
"We'll be back soon, Kion." Nala assured him, bending down to nuzzle her son affectionately.
"Okay, Mama." Kion said.
Simba leaned down to nuzzle Kion, his eyes shining with affection as he gazed at his son.
"Listen to your sister, son." he said. 
Kion nodded.
Kiara came up, brushing her tail across Kion's back.
"Have a good walk." she said.
"Thank you, my darling." Simba said warmly.
Nala moved towards Kiara, brushing her muzzle against Kiara's cheek.
"Look after your brother." Nala told her.
"I will, Mom." Kiara promised.
Simba and Nala began to head down the path that led towards the grasslands.
Suddenly, Zazu flew up to them, landing beside Simba.
"Urgent news, your majesties!" Zazu announced breathlessly.
"What is it, Zazu?" Simba asked.
"There's a rogue lion near the Water Hole border. I discovered him during my morning flight." Zazu said.
Simba and Nala exchanged a confused look, their eyes reflecting the same bewilderment.
"What was the lion doing? Was he attacking anyone?" Simba asked, the three of them beginning to head towards the Water Hole.
"No, he wasn't attacking anyone. I must admit that he looked rather weak, so I doubt he'll be a threat, but it is better to be safe than sorry." Zazu clarified.
"Perhaps this lion needs our help, Simba. We shouldn't drive him off without giving him a chance to explain himself." Nala suggested.
"Yes, that's true. I do want the Pridelands to be open to anyone who feels they need assistance." Simba concurred.
"That is very noble, Simba. I'm sure your father would be proud of you." Zazu said approvingly.
As they approached the Water Hole, they saw that the rogue lion was collapsed underneath an acacia tree; the lion's fur was dark golden, and he had a dark brown mane, though his eyes were closed. As the three of them came closer, Nala was able to see that the lion looked to be a few moons older than Kiara. A familiar feeling of nostalgia and grief tugged at Nala's heart as she observed him, though she couldn't explain it. 
After all this time, this lion could be my Kopa, our son returned to us at last.
She glanced over at Simba, afraid to voice her thoughts to him, fully aware that he would be concerned about her hopes being raised and shattered.
Simba stepped forward, a twig snapping beneath his paw as he approached the lion. At the sound of the twig breaking, the lion's ear twitched, his eyes opening to reveal the same shade of greenish-blue as Nala's eyes, a trait shared only by her parents and oldest son.
"Who are you? What are you doing in our-" Simba began, before being abruptly cut off by a gasp from Nala beside him, her greenish-blue eyes wide with shock and optimism as she met the lion's identical gaze.
"Nala? What is it, my darling?" Simba asked concernedly.
"Simba, look at him. It's Kopa, he's come home. Our son has come back to us." Nala said emotionally.
Simba wrapped his tail around Nala, before turning his attention to the lion, who was lying on the ground in front of them. Simba could see that he bore a resemblance to Kopa, having the same dark golden pelt. As he examined him, Simba noticed the signs of several seasons of hardship, the lion's fur was marred by deep scratches and cuts, and his mane was ruffled and unkept. 
"Look into his eyes." Nala urged, sensing the conflicting thoughts hidden in Simba's gaze.
Simba raised his head, his eyes meeting the greenish-blue gaze of the lion in front of them, who stared back uncertainly. As Simba looked into his eyes, a feeling of hopefulness struck him as he recollected that Kopa had been the only one of their cubs to inherit Nala's eye color, with Kiara sharing his reddish-brown eyes, and Kion's eyes being brown. As Simba continued to examine the lion, he took note of the fact that he looked to be not many moons older than his daughter, remembering that Kiara herself had been born on the day Kopa was taken from them.
Simba turned his gaze to Nala, who stared back at him, her eyes reflecting the relief and happiness that he felt in his heart.
"Yes, my darling. I believe that this is our son. He's home." Simba acknowledged, beckoning the lion closer with a flick of his tail.
"What is your name?" he asked him.
"My name? It's Kopa." Kopa revealed.
Nala's eyes welled with tears, and she pressed herself against Simba's pelt, feeling her whole body shake with emotion.
"D-Do you remember us, my darling?" she asked shakily. 
"Of course I remember you. You're Simba and Nala, the king and queen of the Pridelands, and my parents." Kopa replied.
"Yes, my precious. We are your parents." Nala told him, swiftly moving forward to nuzzle him. 
Simba's eyes shone with affection as he moved forward to nuzzle Kopa.
"Welcome home, my son." he said warmly.
"Thanks, Dad." Kopa said.
Suddenly, Zazu, who'd been observing the reunion from above, flew down to settle on a  tree branch nearby. 
"Kopa, it is such a relief to have you home again." he said.
"Thanks, Zazu." Kopa told him, a feeling of exhaustion suddenly overtaking him. 
"Zazu, can you fetch Rafiki? Tell him what's happened and bring him to Pride Rock so he can examine Kopa." Simba instructed.
Zazu nodded, flying off immediately.
"Let's go home. You have a brother and sister that will be very glad to meet you." Nala said.
"A brother and sister? I thought you were only expecting one cub.." Kopa wondered.
Simba chuckled.
"We've had another cub not long ago. His name is Kion." he said.
"Your sister's name is Kiara. Her mate is named Kovu." Nala added.
"What are we waiting for? Let's go home so I can meet them." Kopa said. 
"Do you remember how to get to Pride Rock?" Simba inquired.
Kopa nodded.
"Of course I do, Dad. It's my home." he said.
"The hunting party should be back by now, so you'll get to reunite with your grandmothers and great-aunts as well." Nala informed him.
"It'll be wonderful to see everyone again and to meet my siblings." Kopa said.
The three of them began to make their way towards Pride Rock.
Upon arrival, they noticed that the hunting party had returned, having fully stocked the fresh-kill pile. The pride had gathered outside the den, along with Timon and Pumbaa.
"It's terrific to be home again. I've dreamed of returning for so long." Kopa said.
"Kiara and Kion will be so happy to meet you. Your father and I told them all about you recently." Nala told him.
As they approached the waiting pride, Simba cleared his throat loudly, his gaze sweeping across those gathered before them.
"Everyone! I'm sure you can all see something truly special has occurred. Our son, Kopa has finally returned to us!" he announced.
His announcement was met by delighted cheers and exclamations as the impact of the news swept through the gathered pride. At once, Sarafina and Sarabi hurried forward, similar expressions of delight and joy reflected in their eyes.
"Kopa? Is it truly you?" Sarafina asked emotionally.
"Yes, Nona. I'm home." Kopa confirmed.
He stepped towards her, nuzzling his grandmother affectionately. 
"It's so wonderful to have you back with us again, my darling." Sarafina said.
"Yes, we're very glad that you're home safely." Sarabi agreed, taking her turn to nuzzle Kopa.
"Thank you, Nai Nai." Kopa answered.
Naanda, Dwala, Diku, and Ayla stepped forward, each expressing delight to see their great-nephew.
Once Kopa had finished greeting his great-aunts, his attention was drawn to three of his friends, Kora, Afua, and Clea, who had waited patiently for the opportunity to speak with him. 
"You probably weren't expecting to see me again." Kopa greeted.
"It's great to have you back where you belong, Kopa." Kora told him. Beside him, Afua nodded in agreement. Clea said nothing, though the shy, affectionate look she gave Kopa was enough of an indication of how she felt about his return.
"Hi, Clea." Kopa said, returning her gaze confidently. 
"Kopa." Clea breathed, her eyes shining with relief and happiness.
Nala cleared her throat suddenly, breaking Kopa out of his reverie as he gazed at Clea.
"Mom, where are Kion and Kiara? They'll want to meet their older brother." Nala asked Sarafina.
Before Sarafina could reply, Kiara emerged from the den, followed by Kovu and Kion.
"Here we are, Mom..." Kiara said, her voice trailing off as she caught sight of Kopa. Beside her, Kovu wrapped his tail around Kion, his green gaze fixed on Kopa as he came forward to stand in front of them.
"Who is this?" Kovu inquired curiously.
Simba and Nala exchanged a glance.
"Kiara, Kion, your mother and I want to introduce you to someone." Simba began.
"This is your brother. This is Kopa." Nala added.
"Kopa?" Kiara echoed.
Surveying him closely, Kiara was able to identify his eyes as being of the same hue as her mother's and maternal grandmother's, knowing that there were few in their family to share that trait. Kiara remembered her parents showing her and Kion a painting of their brother not long ago, recognizing that the lion in front of her was indeed the lion who was depicted in the painting.
"Yes, Kiara. I'm home. I'm so glad I finally have the opportunity to meet you and Kion. Neither of you were born when I was abducted." Kopa said.
Kiara moved closer, nuzzling Kopa affectionately.
"Mom and Daddy told Kion and I about you recently and showed us a painting. I'm so happy we have the chance to have you in our lives." she said.
She glanced behind her at Kion, who was still huddled beside Kovu, watching them apprehensively.
"It's okay, Kion. Come here." Kiara said encouragingly. 
At a gentle nudge from Kovu, Kion came over to them, followed closely by Kovu.
"This is my mate, Kovu." Kiara told Kopa.
"It's great to meet you. I have a feeling we're going to be best friends." Kopa said. 
"It'll be great to get to know you." Kovu told him.
"You became friends quickly with me, so surely it couldn't be too different for my cubhood friend." Kora spoke up suddenly from where he stood amongst the rest of the pride.
"Yes, that's true." Kovu agreed.
Kopa's expression softened as Kion approached him, gazing down at his younger brother encouragingly.
"I'm so glad I have the opportunity to watch you grow up." Kopa told him. 
"I have two brothers now?" Kion asked, turning to Kiara expectedly.
"Yes, Kion. Kovu and Kopa are both your brothers." Kiara confirmed.
Kion moved closer to Kopa, pressing himself against his foreleg. Kopa bent his head to nuzzle him affectionately.
At that moment, Rafiki approached them, followed closely by Zazu, who had told him about the wonderful news of Kopa's return.
"Prince Kopa! Such a wonderful blessing to have you return to the Pridelands! I must admit, I did have a very strong sense that you would one day make your way home." he said.
"It's great to see you, Rafiki." Kopa greeted.
"Did you bring the herbs?" Simba asked.
Rafiki nodded.
"I have brought burnet and ragwort leaves, as well as poultices for his injuries." he told them.
At the entrance to the den, Vitani suddenly cleared her throat.
"I wanted to do something to help, so I brought a grass rat for him to eat." she explained, her voice muffled by the rat in her jaws.
"Thanks, Tani." Kovu said gratefully. 
"Kopa, this is Kovu's sister, Vitani. She's one of my best friends. Tani, this is Kopa, my brother." Kiara introduced the two of them.
"It's great to meet you." Kopa told her as Vitani came forward, setting the rat down in front of him.
"I'm happy to meet you too." Vitani replied.
Rafiki cleared his throat, holding the herbs out towards Kopa, who reached forward to gulp the herbs down, swiping his tongue over his jaws as he swallowed them.
"Kopa, will you tell us what happened to you? How did you manage to make your way home after all these seasons?" Nala asked, her eyes shining with tears as she watched her son.
"After the hyenas abducted me, I was held prisoner in a part of the Outlands. I didn't know why I was there or what they wanted with me. I didn't see anyone, not even Asante. Overtime, the seasons passed and I grew into an adult. One day, I was released from the  prison I'd been kept in but instead of killing me, the hyenas chased me out of the Outlands. I'm guessing they didn't see any use in keeping me there any longer. I knew I had to find my way home again so I set off. As I traveled, I could sense there was someone guiding me. I had an instinct it was Grandpa, which I was very grateful to him for. Eventually, I reached the border but by that point, I was too exhausted to travel any further." Kopa said.
"That is when Zazu noticed you and informed your mother and myself." Simba put in. 
"Yes." Kopa said.
He glanced over at Kiara and Kion.
"Tell me more about you two." he implored them.
"Mom and Daddy told me I was born on the day you were abducted. I'm also Daddy's heir, I'll be queen someday." Kiara told him.
"I'm second in the succession." Kion added.
Kopa's expression softened.
"That's wonderful." he said.
Suddenly, Rafiki cleared his throat, having finished his treatment of Kopa's injuries.
"Perhaps it is best for Kopa to get some rest now. I have treated his injuries, and am happy to report Kopa will have no physical scars." he said.
"Thank you, Rafiki." Nala said.
"Please let the kingdom know that a special gathering will be held tomorrow to announce Kopa's return." Simba instructed him.
"Of course." Rafiki agreed.
He and Zazu followed Timon and Pumbaa out of the den, leaving the royal family and the pride alone. Once they'd gone, Nala and Sarafina began to assemble a soft nest of moss and bracken for Kopa, who settled down into it gratefully, having finished the grass rat brought to him by Vitani. Kopa's family and the pride settled down around him.
----
The next morning, the animals of the kingdom hurried to Pride Rock with great anticipation, having been told an important announcement was due to be made.
At Pride Rock, the royal family assembled on the peak, with the pride gathered behind them at the entrance to the den.
Simba stepped forward, his gaze sweeping across the assembled animals.
"Animals of the Pridelands! I have a very important announcement to make. After many seasons, my son, Kopa, has returned!" Simba announced loudly.
Immediately, the animals gathered below erupted into thunderous cheers and jubilation as Kopa's abduction many seasons ago had been devastating to not just his family, but the inhabitants of the kingdom as well. Simba felt his heart swell with affection as he listened to the cheers of his subjects, glancing beside him to see Nala's eyes shining with tears as she watched Kopa, who was standing between Kiara and Kion.
At that moment, Simba felt a gentle breeze sweep around him, he raised his head, his heartbeat quickening as he saw Mufasa's spirit in the clouds, gazing down at them affectionately.
"Thank you, Dad." Simba murmured.
That night, after Rafiki had returned to his tree, he immediately set to work improving upon the painting he had done of Kopa when he was a cub. Chuckling to himself, Rafiki painted a mane on Kopa's painting, before feeling a gentle breeze sweep around him.
"The return of Kopa will certainly be very beneficial to the Pridelands, as well as to your family, Mufasa." he said fondly.
Category:Fanfiction
Category:Ginnyharry4ever
Category:Ginny's Fanfics