The "Prince" Returns

[Kopa]

Flash!

A still body lay in the grass. But then it started shaking and breathing, which indicated that it was alive. This body was Kopa. Kopa gasped and opened his eyes, unsure for a moment where he was. The lion had to blink several times in order for him to adjust. Everything was blurry for a moment. While his eyes adjusted, Kopa tried to remember what had happened. It was difficult, but he managed to regain some of his thoughts and figure out what had happened. 

He remembered a cold cell. A very cold and bitter cell. He hadn't known how long he had been in the cell, but he paid no heed in figuring it out just yet. He remembered vividly the torture Kula put him through, and just the thought of her left chills down the young lion's spine. The only person he had seen was Kula, and again, he couldn't think of her without growling or wincing. He had multiple questions. First, where was he? He looked around, and felt immense joy at what he saw. Canada, he was in Canada! His... home? He didn't really have a home anymore. but this was the closest thing to a home that he had. 

He also remembered that he had escaped the cell, but was stopped by a Blackbloood warrior who had spotted him. He didn't know if he had been knocked out or had won the right. Nor did he know how he ended up in Canada. 

He then wondered. How had he gotten there? How had he gotten here? He hadn't noticed the giant scars and marks scatterer across his body, which had been left by Kula. Nor had he considered how much trouble he'd be in for this. Kopa rose to his feet shakily, letting out a sharp, yet shallow breath. He grunted in pain. Kopa took a look around, hardly believing it. How long had he been gone? He didn't know. 

Nevertheless, Kopa was home... But was that a great thing? 

[Grey Brother]

Intruder.

Intruder.

The form of the wolf slinks out of the underbrush, he had been out hunting some miles outside of camp yet still in territory, his own territory he did set up scent markers after all. Yellow colored orbs stare at the sickly looking lion one that he wouldn’t recognize anymore and even if he did he hardly interacted with the price if at all.

“You look like shit” Grey said, bluntly now circling around the downed lion sniffing at the stale scent of blood and god knows what else. “You one of those cave lions? You live around here?” Grey Brother asks, now stepping back as the skinny lion gets up to his feet.

[Sarabi]

"Kopa?"

The older lioness had only happened upon the scene on a return from a walk in the forests. As she grew older, Sarabi found that she wanted to be alone with her own thoughts more often. She'd began to notice the first few glints of silver amidst the warm bronze of her fur and she realised that she was indeed getting old. Although, she imagined some of those grey hairs were due to the stress of worrying about her grandchildren, particularly Kopa and his foolish idea of running straight into danger. The fact that he had probably been murdered had weighed heavily on her mind since the moment Shani and Kiara had to break the terrible news to her.

"Is...is that really you?"She didn't want to believe it was indeed her grandson. Perhaps she was seeing things or maybe it was a lion who just happened to have a passing resemblance to her eldest grandchild. She had made that mistake before with the large lion who called himself Ajax.

She approached the younger lion tentatively as if he would disappear if she got to close. How could he be here? It seemed like she had wished that he was back with them and was now seeing things.

"Oh, Kopa!" the lioness couldn't help the small sob that broke in her throat and she rushed the distance to his side to bury her head in the red fur of his mane.

[Rari]

“No....” the whispers leaves the young lionesses lips as she emerged from the nearby underbrush and stares at the sight ahead of her. She wasn’t fallowing the old queen exactly, more like hunting close by. Heck, it seemed like everyone was by the looks of it having spotted the smaller wolf talking to the lion.

“Kopa? It’s me, it’s Rari” the female pads closer to her pride-mate trying to fight the tears that were already streaming down her cheeks.

[Kopa]

Kopa first heard Grey Brother, and yes, he was quite aware of him. The tone that the other used though signified something was going to go wrong. Though, Kopa decided to ignore it. "I do, I guess," he said, and for Kopa, not arguing back or giving smart alec comments, meant something was wrong. "No, not a cave lion, I don't think."

Then a voice broke him from Grey Brother. It felt so familiar, and he hadn't heard it in who knows how long. Or maybe he heard it quite recently. "G-Grandma?" he asked, blinking as he saw his grandmother. She rushed over to him, but not before asking was it really him? Was it? Was it really him? "Yeah, it's really me," He trembled a bit, and that was actual emotion. It was brief and hidden, but it was there.

"Before you say anything, Just so you know... I had a plan, I went for it, and it failed," Kopa admitted. Kopa still hadn't noticed the massive wounds on his body yet. He looked at the third person there, who was seemingly another lion of his pride. He did sort of recognize her. "Rari?" he asked, hoping she'd enlighten him more. His memory was a bit fuzzy.

[Grey Brother]

Grey Brother gives another low growl and about to speak again before Sarabi and another lioness comes bounding forward and he has his answer of who this young male was.

"Kopa?"

Grey shuffles backwards now giving the lions more to tend and talk to their pride-mate. He lifts his head back giving a howl alerting the others that Kopa had somehow returned to them.

He has returned, Kopa has returned to us! Hurry, Hurry! once finished he drops his head and golden eyes burrow into Kopa’s sickly looking frame.

[The Gourmand]

The Gourmand at this point was more than ready for action; he’d even gotten into the habit of a workout routine. Not really to show off (of course if he attracted attention, that would be a bonus) but just to ensure he was battle-ready. Since his tentacles were weakened beyond repair, he focused on his upper body. He had to improvise, using a big stone to lay on, and a part of a medium-sized tree log to bench press. Things were so much heavier on land; but this was good for he would only be stronger because of it.

Eventually he did tire. He dropped the weight behind his head on the ground and leaned up. Unfortunately he couldn’t sweat, so he panted heavily to relieve himself of the heat. It was his distraction with his workout and the noise of his breath in his ear that lead him to not notice the commotion immediately. The Gourmand craned his neck, squinting. Within a moment, the panting turned into a earth-rumbling growl. The heat returned to his face, but it wasn’t because of exercise this time.

That boy was not getting off easy. Not today.

Even though his arms were still shivering from exhaustion, he dragged himself to his vehicle and mounted it. He slammed it into gear but restained himself in approaching slowly, although the temptation to swoop in was strong. The low drone of his pod grew. His eyes were focused, mostly ignoring all else present; although he did register they were there, he had his priorities.

“Excellent of you to show up.”

The statement was one of hidden fury and spoken between clenched teeth. Crimson red gaze was pinpoint focused on this so-called prince, although he used his ears to track the other Dawnseekers. He might have considered tolerating their presence, if it had not been for what had happened when Kopa’s capture was announced -- yeah, that fiasco. The Gourmand frankly didn’t trust the others not to get in the way of what needed to be done after last time. Admittedly though, he disliked that it might be necessary to dismiss them, though he felt the onlookers had proven in the past they couldn’t behave.

There was a chuckle, then suddenly it cut off.

“We’re going to have a CHAT about your punishment...”

[Rari]

“Yes, Yeah that’s right! I’m Rari, you remember me?” The lioness chokes out, a paws wipes at her eyes to remove the tears of odd mixture of relief and grief for her long thought dead friend.

The howl from the wolf seemed faint for her focus was on Kopa then a new voice sounds and she turned to look up at the Gourmand, killer of one of her unfortunately crazed pride-mates back at pride-rock.

“Excellent of you to show up.”

“We’re going to have a CHAT about your punishment...” Rari lowers her head almost stepping back from Kopa as if the creature’s voice alone was directed at her and not her oh so stupid friend and pride-mate.

[Afua]

Afua turned at the direction of the howl answering the call and races forward. It was a blur as he arrived on the scene and stops just short of the other lions.

“Kopa?” He stares at the emaciated form of his boyfriend in shock, taking in every wound and scar, the ribs that jutted out from his sides that could be counted out loud.

“Kopa,” he says again, forcing himself not to just throw himself on the other lion, embrace him as Sarabi had. “How are you even here? You...you should be dead. Why aren’t you dead?” the males voice cracks slightly as now tears of anger slip out. “You’re so...so god damn stupid...so fucking stupid” he crawled towards him now unable to contain himself and presses his forehead against Kopa’s as if checking to see if he was real.

“Fuck you...just fuck you” Afua whimpers, breaking down against him. A moment later he hears Gourmand’s voice shifting his gaze.

“Just take him” Afua says, his emotions all over the place at this point.

[Flynn Rider]

A commotion. There was always a commotion in camp. Flynn Rider always seemed to find himself going to the commotions in the camp. After the flight from Africa, everyone seemed on edge, but time went by, the snow melted, and things seemed to be getting better by the day. Then Kopa decides to adventure to Agrabah with an all powerful teleporting genie and BOOM, suddenly everyone's on edge again. If that... that kid had just listened, not gone on his own, then we'd be fine, and no one would realize that the Dawnseekers were licking wounds, biding time. But here they were, stuck into one shitty situation after another.

Oh, look, Kopa's being Stared down off by the Gourmand. That's not something you see every day. Flynn began to wave his hands at the assembled crowd and opened his mouth to tell them to go back to-

Wait.

Wait just one second.

Eugene blinked as he remembered the thought that just ran through his mind.

KOPA was being STARED DOWN by the GOURMAND. KOPA was back?!?! When in the holy hell did he get back?!? Oooooooh, this kid was going to get his ear chewed off! How the hell did he get back? Why on earth did he come back here? Was he tailed? Is the hiding over?

Flynn caught himself. No time to think, the lion needed to be brought to the Council. Turning again to the crowd, Flynn spoke, this time not stopping. "Alright, everyone, it's impressive, a suddenly appearing lion, very unique. Let's get back to work, and Gourmand and I will handle it." Waving everyone away, Flynn stepped beside the Gourmand, staring down at Kopa, a look of... well, disappointment more than anything.

"Well, welcome back. Hope you enjoyed the warm welcome." Flynn had to spit out the last few words. He felt awful in being so venomous to the lion, who in all intents was considered dead by all rights, but it was needed. Now was a time for punishments, not mercy. Looking over at the Gourmand in his chair, Flynn offered half a smile. "What's the situation, commander? You find him in the woods or something?"