Chapter 5: Tresspasser

"What?!"

"You're going to have a brother or a sister," repeated Simba as he nudged his son.

Kopa's eyes widened in surprise as if he couldn't believe what he had heard. He looked up at his parents as he saw them exchange a glance of fear.

"Are you sure about that," asked Kopa.

Nala let out a nervous laugh. "Yeah, pretty sure," she answered timidly.

Kopa gave a nod before he looked up at them with an unreadable expression on his face. "Oh, okay," he sighed as he strode forward with his tail dragging against the stone.

Simba frowned as Nala sighed and pushed her head against his shoulder. "He didn't take that well," murmured Nala as she buried her muzzle into his mane.

"I'll talk to him. See if I can know anything more about why he's so touchy on this," Simba offered as he licked her cheek. "Just give us some father son time."

Nala nodded as Simba strode forward, thinking about what he would say to his son. He wanted to think that Kopa would have taken this better, but he knew better than to assume. Kopa was a very confusing cub at times, but he was sure that they would have this all sorted out by morning.

"Kopa, may I come in," asked Simba as he stood at the entrance of priderock.

"Yeah."

Simba barely heard the mumble, but even if Kopa told him no, he would still have to go in. He was just glad that he had given Kopa the choice and Kopa had chosen to allow him in.

He came into the darkness and saw Kopa laying in the corner, facing the wall. He made no motion that he knew that his father was there and Simba thought that that would be best.

He lowered down beside his son and nudged him gingerly. "Hey, can we speak," he asked when Kopa shied away from him. "Tom to tom?"

"I don't need to talk about anything," Kopa mumbled.

"I think that you do. Now, look at me. I want to have you looking at me when we speak," explained Simba firmly.

Kopa sighed as he turned around to look at his father. His eyes narrowed slightly, but he met his father's gaze. "What?"

"I want to know how you're feeling about your mother and I having another cub, a littermate for you," explained Simba as he nudged his son.

Kopa shrugged. "I don't know. I like how it is now with just the three of us and the rest of the pride."

"Kopa, just because our family is getting bigger, doesn't mean that it isn't getting more beautiful. You may love that brother and sister even more than you love us," joked Simba.

Kopa frowned. "Maybe."

"Just give it a chance," murmured Simba as he cuffed Kopa affectionately around the ear. Kopa seemed a bit surprised as he rolled away, his eyes showing in surprise. "And nothing will change between the two of us, I promise."

Kopa forced a smile as he brushed his head against Simba's chest as he slumped against him. He yawned to himself as he curled up against his father's chest and rested one paw on Simba's massive paw.

"Will it be a brother or a sister," wondered Kopa drowsily.

"I don't know," answered Simba as he rested his own head on the other side of Kopa so that his neck was covering him. "But, I'm sure that it'll be fun, no matter what it is."

Kopa nodded as he drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

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The next morning, Kopa was the first one awake. Simba had drifted over to Nala and the two were sleeping with their backs pressed against each other. A glint showed in Kopa's eyes before he leaped over his father's paws and out of the den. He shook out his fur as he looked around for where he could go and what he could today.

He bounded off of priderock and couldn't help but purr as he plodded forward. The sun had barely come up and he was excited to see if Tabockie was at the watering hole.

He arrived there and took a few laps of the water before something slimy fell in front of him. He turned his head in surprise before he saw Tabockie with grubs hanging from his mouth. He puffed out his chest in pride as his tail wagged behind him, a cackle rolling in his throat.

"How did I do," asked Tabockie.

"Amazing," answered Kopa as he drew back with water running down his chin. He shook out his pelt before he lowered down, chomping at the crunchy grubs while Tabockie slurped down any of the slimy ones. Once they had finished, the two sat aside as the sun warmed their pelts.

Eventually, Kopa decided to talk to Tabockie about what had happened yesterday. "My parents are having another cub."

Tabockie's head shot up. "That's amazing news, Kopa! You're going to be a big brother!"

"It is not amazing," muttered Kopa as he turned away stubbornly with his lips curling. "I don't want to have anyone else in my family. I'm quite content on how things are."

Tabockie shrugged. "Maybe, but littermates are cool. I have three and I'm the youngest," boasted Tabockie as he puffed out his chest. "I don't know where I'd be without them."

"What are their names," inquired Kopa.

"Aylaza, Rocphro, and Hickler," answered Tabockie. "Two brothers and a sister. I really like them and we do all kind of things together. You'll enjoy having a littermate, I'm sure!"

Kopa felt a little better as he smiled a little. He then rose to his paws and paraded forward with his ears shoved forward. "Come on, let's play! I want to release some steam."

"Okay," exclaimed Tabockie as he darted to his paws and lowered into a crouch. "Do you want to learn some hyena moves?"

Kopa nodded vigorously before Tabockie bounded over and came to Kopa's side. "Okay, hyenas are usually sneaky. We're quick and agile on our paws with quick jabs! Lions are more powerful. Watch me."

Tabockie lunged forward, but as quick as he had jabbed, he leaned back. He plastered his ears against his head as he licked his lips. "Now you try."

Kopa nodded as he narrowed his eyes in concentration. He then jabbed forward, but he lost his balance. He growled in agitation as he drew back, shaking his head to clear it. He then tried again with his paw shooting his paw out. He drew back as he lowered his head into his shoulders and licked his lips. "Like that?"

"Brilliant," exclaimed Tabockie as he wiggled his haunches. "Now we can work on a leap. Hyenas leap and buckle when they fight. Let's try it."

Tabockie leaped forward as he sprang back and forth with agile paws, using his paw for a jab before he snapped his jaws at an invisible foe. He then drew back as he plastered his ears against his head. He then turned his head to look at Kopa, inviting him forward.

Kopa gulped as he skipped forward, jabbing a paw with his other paws remaining agile and barely touching the ground. He managed to rear on his hind legs as he snapped his jaws before he drew backwards and was able to shake his flank out. He lifted a paw and scratched at his ear before he yawned slightly.

"That was awesome," praised Tabockie like a mentor. "You would make a good hyena."

Kopa shook his head. "No thanks. I'm pretty good with just being a hyena," he joked as he pressed his paws against Tabockie's shoulders and the two began to wrestle like they had the day prior, when they had first met each other.

They laughed as they continued to roll and play together until each of them were panting on their sides, laughing slightly. They yawned slightly as they parted their jaws in a massive yawn with their eyes glowing.

There was suddenly a cackling yip as Tabockie turned his head and he couldn't help but smile. "That's Hickler. Mother must want us for hunting," Tabockie barked before he touched his nose to Kopa's ear. "I'll see you later. Bye, Kopa!"

Kopa reared on his hind legs and waved his paw. "Bye, Tabockie."

Tabockie came over to his brother and they touched noses. Hickler then nuzzled his brother affectionally and Kopa felt a pang. He wondered if he would be like that with a littermate. The two brothers bounded forward and Kopa sighed, waiting for the two of them to leave.

Once they had, he decided to go exploring. He hadn't really had a chance to go exploring and he would've liked to do so by himself. He plodded along with his tail kinked over his shoulder.

He wasn't really sure where he was going, considering that was what exploring was. He couldn't help but perk up a bit when the scents began to change. He looked around as he realized that he didn't recognize anything. He should have recognized at least something that his father had shown him. But, he didn't know where he was.

"What do we have here?"

Kopa gasped as he turned around with his ears twitching on his head. He gulped as he lowered his head into his shoulders and saw three skinny and scrawny lions prowling toward him. He whimpered as he looked around.

"It looks like one of those prideland brats! Perhaps we should kill him and hang his body as a warning not to cross our territory," spat a she-cat with his back arching.

Kopa shook his head madly. "P-Please, no!"

"Wait!"

Kopa spiraled around and saw a scrawny lion bounding forward and skidding to a halt almost in front of Kopa. "This isn't what the stars would want."

"Get out you, Plagrass," spat one of the lions as he thrust a paw against Plagrass's cheek.

Plagrass lowered his head and the blow missed him. He hissed as he turned to Kopa. "Get out of here, little one," rasped the lion as he looked down to Kopa. "Now!"

Kopa froze for a heartbeat, but the lion leaped at Plagrass and Plagrass leaped for him as well. Kopa drew back and that gave him the initiation to run. He darted forward and across the border that he realized that he had crossed into the comfort of his own territory.

He shook out his flank and looked down at his shaking paws. I will never do that again! From now on I'll stay in my territory. There is no reason that I would want anything to do with those lions!