The Lion King:
Birth
Of The
Black Prince
(I in no way own Disney's The Lion King nor any other content used in this story that comes from elsewhere.)
Forewarning
Before I proceed with this story, reader, I feel it prudent to warn you: This story is vastly different than standard stories written of the Lion King. This story will feature the characters of said franchise as Anthro characters. It will also involve the Pridelands as being a proud city-state among other such states. A beacon of civilization, if you will, sitting amidst other states of significantly less cultural, technological, and civil development. Most importantly, however, though I shan't give much in the way of details, it will involve the characters in two distinctly different situations: Part One will involve them trying to solve a mystery set around a recent arrival in the Pridelands, while at the same time befriending him and developing ties to him; Part Two will involve them in a military situation in which they will both make an interesting discovery and be forced to fight their first full-scale war. If any of what I have already said is not something you would like to see, or offends you in anyway, I urge you to close the tab this story is on and not read this tale, for this story will not be one you enjoy.
Still here? Good. Now then, with all that said, I feel it time to get on with the story. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride...
Prologue
There is a question as old as war itself: If someone is trying to kill you, are you not to rise up and kill them first? Know then, that this tale is set in the times following the incident now being called the Unification Incident – where Princess Kiara of the Pridelands and now-Prince Kovu of the Outlands united the two states as one. As the Outlanders made themselves at home in the Pridelands, Simba and his wife, Nala, got used to seeing Kovu with Kiara. The two states were united in celebration when the two wed, further cementing their place in the Pridelands and the newfound sense of unity. The Pridelands went on in a golden age of prosperity – war became a thing to read about and see in movies and shows depicting heroic characters modeled after the royal family fighting to preserve peace and justice. The occasional dispute between the Pridelands and neighboring states was settled peacefully with no use of force, and things were going so well, that the Pridelands almost never had to call on their Lioness Fighting Forces.
In this time, Kovu's sister, Vitani, began having dreams of what could only be termed as the arrival of her soulmate. Even the aged Rafiki agreed with this supposition. Though the man in Vitani's dream was distinctly human, he had qualities that made him unique – such as sapphire eyes like nothing ever seen in the Pridelands, and an infectious smile that Vitani couldn't stop herself from smiling at every time she remembered it. She eagerly awaited the arrival of this man, though even she was in the dark as to how he would come to the Pridelands.
But soon, the golden age of the Pridelands will be torn asunder, and new revelations will thrust Simba and his family into a place they never expected to be. This tale begins one fateful night as Vitani, Kovu, and Kiara are out among the Pridelands, trying to find the reason for Vitani's sudden feeling that something was horribly wrong on this cold, bitter night...
/ \\\\\
Vitani walked at a brisk pace, and her brother and sister-in-law had to work to keep up. They'd been walking for hours, starting just before sundown, and still going well into the nighttime hours. The streetlights showed the way, and it was evident tonight was only going to get colder – it was already cold enough for Vitani to see her own breath as she breathed heavily, trying to follow her feeling to it's source.
"Slow down, Vitani," Kovu panted.
"Vitani, how can you tell some-" Kiara started.
"I just know it!" Vitani cut her off. "I felt it! The cold, the feeling, the scream – it's just wrong!"
"Another of your psychic flashes?" Kovu asked.
"No, I believe her on the scream – I heard it, myself; dad did, too," Kiara told him.
"If someone screamed, maybe they're hurt," Kovu suggested.
"That's why I had Simba summon his medical team – whoever it was, they may need our help," Vitani said gruffly. She turned to face Pridelands Zira Memorial Park when she tripped on something and barely had time to break her fall with her hands, thereby avoiding landing on her face. She looked at her feet, and right there, just shy of the park gates, was something that did not belong in the slightest.
A gun – a rifle, though this particular model eluded Vitani. It was colored steel-black, with what seemed to be glowing green outlines, a sort of mini-scope, another sight completely alien to Vitani, and a collapsible stock.
"What is that?" Kovu asked.
"I'm not sure," Kiara admitted. Vitani sat up, then got to one knee, picking the weapon up as she rose to her feet. It was then that she saw what she nearly landed in; she was so transfixed on the weapon and where she landed, she didn't see it earlier – a fluid, a glowing, neon-green puddle. She knelt down beside the puddle, fully aware that there was nothing in the Pridelands that would have this sort of fluid. She dipped a finger in it, then retracted it, lifting the sample on her finger up to her nose to take a whiff of it. It had a metallic smell – copperish, like...
"... Blood," she said, both as a statement and a realization. "Whoever's blood this is, they're hurt badly."
"Let's hope Simba can get here in time," Kovu commented worriedly.
"Vitani, look!" Kiara exclaimed quietly, pointing to something just ahead. Vitani squinted and saw what Kiara was indicating: a trail of the same glowing neon-green blood. It went further into the park.
"This doesn't feel right," Vitani murmured.
"I'm beginning to agree with you," Kovu said.
"Do we follow it?" Kiara asked.
"Not much choice," Vitani replied. "Whoever this is, they're injured. They need our help." She went along the trail of blood, following it deeper into the park. The deeper they went, the less abundant the light was, until it became so dark, the only source of light was that of the moon. Still, the trio followed the trail until they came upon a disturbing scene:
Lying on a park bench was a human, dressed in tattered clothes, bleeding that same neon-green blood, with shards of glass sticking out of his back and his blood pooling beneath the bench. Vitani rushed over to the man, where it became clear he was still alive. His breathing was erratic, and he kept muttering to himself. It was clear this man was slipping in and out of consciousness, and was having one hell of a nightmare. Vitani looked back at Kiara. "Kiara, get Simba and his medics! Get them here, quickly!" Vitani commanded. Kiara nodded and rushed off, and Kovu stepped closer to the bleeding man.
"Vitani... we need to get him to the medical facility at Pride Rock," Kovu said.
"I know, I-" Vitani started, stopping on seeing this man's face. She couldn't believe her eyes. This man... he was the one from her dreams! His face was a perfect match! "Kovu... this is the man from my dream!" she gasped.
Kovu's attention was elsewhere. He gently shook the man in an effort to try and wake him. "Hey, buddy – can you-"
Bad move. The man awoke with a terrified scream, and it became clear he was armed with some sort of energy sword – the second he woke, an imperial crimson blade flared with a snap-hiss and he swung it at Kovu; Kovu barely had time to duck under the blade. Vitani put herself between the man and Kovu, both hands raised. "Easy, easy, sir! Easy! It's alright!" she spoke to him, trying to calm him down. "We're here to help! It's okay!" The man, though evidently in incredible pain, looked astonished to see Vitani; his face portrayed an expression that looked as though he was seeing a friend he thought had died. He frowned, and his weapon slowly lowered, then extinguished, as he spoke with a voice that sounded as though he recognized her,
"... Vitani?" Vitani was shocked. How the hell did he know who she was? Had they met before? Vitani didn't have time to ponder this, however – the man suddenly lost his balance and plummeted to the ground. Kovu was quick to catch him. It was at this moment that Simba arrived, lead by Kiara. The medical staff was right behind them. When Simba saw the man's wounds, he barely was able to keep from vomiting. The medical staff hauled the injured man away, and Simba approached Vitani.
"Are you alright?" he asked her.
"That man... was the one from my dream," Vitani admitted.
"What happened to him?" Simba queried.
"I don't know; all we can do is wait for the medics to patch him up and get a report from one of them," Vitani responded. "But I'm convinced something happened – both to bring him here, and to cause wounds like that. It'll be a miracle if he survives."
"But your visions were clear on him – he would be your soulmate. I've no doubt he'll survive," Simba assured her.
"I hope you're right," Vitani sighed. Looking at the pool of blood, she added, "Whatever it is that's going on... this is just the beginning."
