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Description
“Dad, Kion’s gonna get a huge stick up his butt if he finds out I was in the Lair without his permission.”

Simba chuckled, as he lead Kopa through the Lair of the Lion Guard’s main chamber. The cub wasn’t wrong, his brother could be protective when it came to anything related to his position in the Pridelands—that was why Simba hadn’t told Kion that he was going to be using the Lair today, rather waiting until he and the Guard left for their morning patrol.

“You let me worry about your brother,” said Simba, as his dark orange eyes scanned across the walls, “He’ll understand it was important that I tell you this story, myself—probably.”

“Another story?” said Kopa, “I figured I’d heard ‘em all by now!”

“Not this one,” the king replied, quietly.

He had found what he was looking for, and sat down in front of a sprawling collection of murals. The cub caught up to him, and put a paw on the wall, curiously. The wall displayed many different scenes from history, none of which he recognized. He could tell that a few of them involved the kingdom’s previous ruler, who the royal cubs had already learned a great deal about.

“Is the story about Scar?” asked Kopa.

“Sort of....”

Simba bit his lip, gazing at one of the paintings with an expression that his son had never seen on his face before. Kopa strained his neck, trying to see which of the scenes had him so upset: it was a painting of a golden, red-maned lion—Kopa couldn’t tell if it was meant to depict his father, or one of his grandfathers—being attacked by a lioness. He stepped away to look at the next one, which depicted a group of lions, including two cubs, walking away from Pride Rock.

“Remember when Kiara went into the Outlands, and got attacked by... an angry lioness?” Simba asked, finally.

“Yeah,” said Kopa, “And you came and saved her.”

“Only because Timon and Pumbaa told me what was going on. Yesterday... Kion went into the Outlands, and he met that lioness, too—but nobody ran and got me, this time. If he hadn’t had the Roar of the Elders, Kion would have been killed.”

“Dad, who is this lioness?”

“That’s what I wanted to tell you,” said Simba, putting his paw on Kopa’s shoulder, “I thought that if you three didn’t know the whole story, you’d be safer. Clearly, I was wrong.” Simba let out a tired laugh, as he looked back up at the mural. “Kiara and Kion found it out the hard way, I’m telling you this so that you won’t have to: this is the story of Zira, and the Outsiders.”

~~~

I’d been thinking about how Kiara and Kion both had near misses, with Zira. Clearly Kion had not been told any details regarding Kiara’s encounter (I put that on Simba being a little protective), and he could have been in much less danger if he had known the whole, unhappy truth. He could have gone to his parents to talk about the problem Jasiri’s clan was having, rather than walking into Zira’s clutches. He only got out because he had the Roar, and because Zira wanted to try manipulating him to her side rather than immediately getting violent (which honestly I do think is in character for her, she seems to me to be as much of a schemer as Scar). And, of course, Kiara was only out of danger because Simba, Nala, and company showed up.

So, when it comes to Simba’s one kid who’s still ignorant of the situation (you can read my headcanon on Kopa’s character, here ), I think he’d finally decide to actually explain what the hell is going on No need to risk a third encounter, y’know?

Description
“Dad, Kion’s gonna get a huge stick up his butt if he finds out I was in the Lair without his permission.”

Simba chuckled, as he lead Kopa through the Lair of the Lion Guard’s main chamber. The cub wasn’t wrong, his brother could be protective when it came to anything related to his position in the Pridelands—that was why Simba hadn’t told Kion that he was going to be using the Lair today, rather waiting until he and the Guard left for their morning patrol.

“You let me worry about your brother,” said Simba, as his dark orange eyes scanned across the walls, “He’ll understand it was important that I tell you this story, myself—probably.”

“Another story?” said Kopa, “I figured I’d heard ‘em all by now!”

“Not this one,” the king replied, quietly.

He had found what he was looking for, and sat down in front of a sprawling collection of murals. The cub caught up to him, and put a paw on the wall, curiously. The wall displayed many different scenes from history, none of which he recognized. He could tell that a few of them involved the kingdom’s previous ruler, who the royal cubs had already learned a great deal about.

“Is the story about Scar?” asked Kopa.

“Sort of....”

Simba bit his lip, gazing at one of the paintings with an expression that his son had never seen on his face before. Kopa strained his neck, trying to see which of the scenes had him so upset: it was a painting of a golden, red-maned lion—Kopa couldn’t tell if it was meant to depict his father, or one of his grandfathers—being attacked by a lioness. He stepped away to look at the next one, which depicted a group of lions, including two cubs, walking away from Pride Rock.

“Remember when Kiara went into the Outlands, and got attacked by... an angry lioness?” Simba asked, finally.

“Yeah,” said Kopa, “And you came and saved her.”

“Only because Timon and Pumbaa told me what was going on. Yesterday... Kion went into the Outlands, and he met that lioness, too—but nobody ran and got me, this time. If he hadn’t had the Roar of the Elders, Kion would have been killed.”

“Dad, who is this lioness?”

“That’s what I wanted to tell you,” said Simba, putting his paw on Kopa’s shoulder, “I thought that if you three didn’t know the whole story, you’d be safer. Clearly, I was wrong.” Simba let out a tired laugh, as he looked back up at the mural. “Kiara and Kion found it out the hard way, I’m telling you this so that you won’t have to: this is the story of Zira, and the Outsiders.”

~~~

I’d been thinking about how Kiara and Kion both had near misses, with Zira. Clearly Kion had not been told any details regarding Kiara’s encounter (I put that on Simba being a little protective), and he could have been in much less danger if he had known the whole, unhappy truth. He could have gone to his parents to talk about the problem Jasiri’s clan was having, rather than walking into Zira’s clutches. He only got out because he had the Roar, and because Zira wanted to try manipulating him to her side rather than immediately getting violent (which honestly I do think is in character for her, she seems to me to be as much of a schemer as Scar). And, of course, Kiara was only out of danger because Simba, Nala, and company showed up.

So, when it comes to Simba’s one kid who’s still ignorant of the situation (you can read my headcanon on Kopa’s character, here ), I think he’d finally decide to actually explain what the hell is going on No need to risk a third encounter, y’know?