Once upon a time, there was an unlikely pair of friends. The young lads, one Outlander one Pridelander, were the best thing that ever happened to each of them. The two cubs were not supposed to know each other or play with each other, as when they met they had to cross each other's borders. According to the Pridelands law, this was punishable by death.

However, the young cub's kept their friendship hidden and unknown to their families and Pride brothers and sisters.

These young lads were named Kopa and Nuka.

Kopa's shimmering bronze eyes searched the endless, lapping grasses of the shadowed Pridelands. It seemed like the vast fields of thin blades never ended and the sight of them made him want to give up. But he pushed his tired muscles as hard as he could for one last game of hide and seek. 

With quick, sure steps, the prince trotted across the wide grass plain, searching for his opponent who was surely hiding somewhere in the depths of all this endless swaying foliage. Then, out of nowhere an outside force sent Kopa tumbling into the thick grasses and caused him to roll onto his back.

"Ha, ha! Pinned you!" Nuka cried victoriously, standing with his head held high in the air.

"Uh, Nuka," Kopa said with a little chuckle, "You know that's not how you play hide and seek, right?"

"I know, but you were taking forever! And that was just too good an opportunity to pass up!!" Nuka smiled, his small teeth glinting in the moonlight. 

Kopa laughed and rolled off of his back, slowly standing to his feet. He knew that he would have to leave soon, but he didn't want his duties to get in the way of his friendship. He shoved the thoughts away and turned to give Nuka a taste of his own medicine.

But before Kopa could even pounce, Nuka had himself lept into the air to pin his friend down again. 

"Nuka!" Kopa cried good-naturedly. "Get off me!"

Kopa didn't wait for him to comply. Instead, he knocked his friend's foot with his own leg and sent Nuka rolling to the ground. Kopa rolled on top of his friend and held Nuka's shoulders to the ground. 

"Now I've got you!" Kopa sang out.

He laughed out loud.

"C'mon, Kopa, let's call a truce!" Nuka whined.

"Fine, no more pouncing,"

Nuka sighed out of relief. 

"If, you look at the stars with me." Kopa bargained. 

"Deal! Just let me up!" Nuka called.

"Okay, okay!" Kopa laughed, stepping off his friend. "I know the perfect spot to find shapes in the stars." 

"Lead the way, buddy," Nuka said. 

The two trotted off to Diamond Bluff and settled down in the soft grasses, pointing their eyes to the brilliant stars shining above. They scanned the beautiful night sky in search of a familiar shape that they could show each other. They found all different kinds of shapes, some of them a perfect likeness, some of them a total stretch. 

"Kopa, you're the best," Nuka said once the two had slowed their findings and were starting to sit in silence. 

Kopa had completely forgotten about the early morning he had planned for tomorrow and instead his mind was focused on the present, a luxury he couldn't afford but took anyway. 

He turned his bronze eyes and examined Nuka, the only friend he had in the whole world (excluding his little twin siblings, Kiara and Kion). Sure, the Outlander's fur was scruffy and riddled with termites and his build was scrawny and thin, but Kopa found it easy to look beyond all that and he had found Nuka's playful, friendly heart. And a good heart surpasses everything else in Kopa's eyes.

"I'm glad you and I are friends," Nuka finished. 

"Me too," Kopa mused, giving his friend a smile. 

Suddenly, Nuka jumped up to his feet so fast that Kopa didn't even see it happen. The little scrawny cub swiftly ducked behind Kopa and whispered, "Get up, there's something out there."

Kopa stood up and lifted his ears to single out the threat. The two friend's stood there, eyes wide and hearts beating a mile a minute. 

"What did you hear-" Kopa asked, but Nuka cut him off.

"Shh!"

Kopa shut his mouth and got into his, 'fight or flight' position so that he could pounce or run at a moments notice. His mother taught him that since she thought it would be good to know in case of emergencies. 

As the cubs watched the still night, they began to relax a bit when they saw that everything was silent and peaceful. The tension in the prince's muscles melted bit by bit and his eyes became lazier with scanning. 

"We should move on," Kopa said softly.

"You can try," came an unknown voice from the shadows. 

The cubs became solid as rocks once more, their ears pricked upward and their eyes were frozen in terror at the sudden voice. Whoever this was, they were experts at hiding and probably fighting too. Kopa began to imagine being mowed down by a strong rogue looking for a meal, first his friend, and then him-

"W-who are you?" Nuka asked, his shaky voice breaking through Kopa's thoughts.

"Show yourself!" Kopa demanded, more aggressively as he forced his nightmares out of his mind.

"No need to yell," the sly sounding voice said. 

Out in the deep, dark grasses, a phantom-like silhouette appeared. The feline's pacing movements were smooth like honey pouring over toast. Her slender form paired with the graceful movements made her seem unreal. Her pale body was covered in nicks and scars from many battles fought and won. 

Nuka cowered lower to the ground, his eyes wide open in horror. Kopa's eyes were almost unbelieving because of the sight before their eyes. Both cubs were sure they had just found a ghost.

"K-kopa!" Nuka hissed in his friend's ear. Kopa's bronze eyes followed the sleek lioness's fluid pacing like a locked on target as he listened intently to his friend's words. "That's a ghost! What do we do?!"

"I don't know," Kopa mused. Then he shouted out to the moving figure, "What do you want from us?" 

The creature became still at Kopa's question. Her ghostly eyes stared directly into his as she stood completely motionless. Her creepy stare sent chills down the prince's spine as the two locked eyes, neither moving an inch.

Slowly, Kopa lifted his upper lip in a snarl. He waited for the right moment, feeling the adrenaline rush through his veins, feeling his fur standing on end, feeling his heart pound inside his chest, just feeling everything that could give him courage and strength. He took a deep breath and let out a somewhat cubbish roar, but a roar nonetheless. 

"Leave us alone," he demanded, his voice sending Nuka's face to the ground out of fear. 

The cub and lioness locked eyes once more as Kopa's powerful demand echoed throughout the shadowy darkness. The phantom lioness gradually parted her thin, pale lips and gave a gentle exhale before she slipped off into the darkness with an effortless grace and smoothness. Kopa watched the spot where she disappeared for a few more moments.

Then he turned to where Nuka was wincing back in the thick grasses behind him. 

"Nuka," he said gently. "She's gone."

Nuka's deep reddish-brown eyes lifted off the ground and met Kopa's. Kopa saw the utter terror in his friend's eyes.

"Let's get you back home," Kopa said. "I'll tell my parents what I found in the morning."

Nuka nodded slowly, then stood up off the ground. The two cubs silently began walking towards the Outlands.

"Kopa," Nuka said quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Your voice sounded...so...powerful tonight. I don't know how to explain it," Nuka said.

Kopa didn't reply.

"You were so brave." Nuka continued. "You protected me and sent that lioness off. You were amazing."

By then they had reached the border. Kopa nodded and began to turn away, but Nuka surged forward and embraced Kopa. 

This caught Kopa completely off guard. But he hugged his friend back and the two stood there for a moment, letting the tension and fear of the night melt away as they thought about how grateful they were that they both survived. 

As Kopa stepped away from the embrace, a smile on his face, he met eyes with Nuka. Nuka's eyes were filled with a new emotion Kopa had never before seen in his eyes. Admiration. Nuka's eyes were overflowing with admiration.

"Night," Kopa said, turning and heading back towards Priderock. 

"Goodnight, Kopa," Nuka said, watching Kopa as he disappeared into the thick swaying grasses.

Nuka knew that their bond would never be quiet the same now that the two had gone through such a crazy adventure. He wasn't sure if it would be better or worse, but he knew it would never, ever be the same. And somehow he was glad. 

This one-shot was requested by @RmcTech a wonderful person who likes Fall Out Boy, Rise of the Guardians, Lion King, Lindsey Stirling, Kitsunes, Guardians of the Galaxy, and most importantly, Pentatonix! All things that I, too, enjoy. Do us both a favor, and follow the wonderful RmcTech! 

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