Hello everyone! This will be a pretty long story, and at that, a very different one. This is a new take on TLK and its universe — a much more larger-than-life one. There will be adventure, action, mystery, magic, romance and everything in between. The story will feature dark undertones (especially later on). In this universe, Scar never killed Mufasa. To be concise, the hyenas never succeeded in scaring the wildebeest into the gorge. Thus, we have this story! Enjoy, and please leave a review to help this project start on the right foot!
There was a strange cave in the Pridelands; one that told tales of the future. One that created and affirmed laws, and created a culture; a way of life. The cave spoke of the Lion Guard - a guard not only destined to protect the Pridelands, but all of Africa when the time came.
Mufasa, the great king, did not believe in the conclusion of the prophecies written on the cave walls. In fact, he found comfort in believing that it didn't exist. He believed it was written by Scar to elicit some kind of reaction. It described the apocalypse of sorts for the Pridelands - it described how it would all end. The circle of life, the royal family... all of it. What Mufasa could not know is that the end was coming much faster than anyone anticipated.
It was a quiet evening in the Pridelands. Mufasa sat atop Pride Rock with a face a little less than relaxed. The patches of grass, groups of trees, the scorching sun and occasional clumps of rock around them were home, sure. However, ever since a few weeks back, it hadn't felt like home for many.
Ever since the disappearance of Tali, one of the younger cubs, the pride had been in disarray. It had been four weeks since the disappearance, and Tali's mother, distraught, had not stepped down from her parental duties — this means, for her, that she may never stop searching until she finds her daughter. Despite not being in peak mental state, she had not wavered from her mission.
Mufasa thought back to the mother's horrified expression upon hearing of her cub's disappearance, and sighed deeply. It tormented him greatly, as he considered himself to be responsible for whatever misfortunes came in the pride's direction. He had been a jolly king overall the past few years until the incident. In fact, he was admired greatly by the pride and other animals, despite the personal burden he had placed on his own back. Members of the pride often reassured him that the incident was not his fault, and that his guilt was nothing but self-deprecating in nature. However, the king continued to hold the tragedy squarely on his back.
"Up here? Again?" Sarabi said softly from behind him. "It isn't good to be alone".
"I just need time" Mufasa said.
"For what?" Sarabi spoke, approaching her mate.
"To think. I can't help it Sarabi, I'm not convinced".
"Not convinced?" Sarabi questioned. "That this isn't all your fault?".
Mufasa said nothing, simply nodding a quiet response, holding his sullen look in place.
"Well… how else can we say it? This isn't something to worry about. Remember what Rafiki said. We'll find Tali, but in the meantime, there's no reason to sulk".
Mufasa looked up tiredly.
"It's been four weeks" he said in a downcast tone. "Tali never learned to hunt. I just can't help but fear-"
"Don't fear" Sarabi said, holding Mufasa's face to meet her eyes. "Look at me. You are the King of the Pridelands, and you have kept us together this long. This isn't a… good situation, but you need to hold it together for our sake. For the sake of the pride".
Mufasa knew Sarabi was right, but he couldn't bring himself to accept that he was not responsible — at least not in full. He knew he would get nowhere by continuing to resist.
"Of course" he said. "Of course I'll keep myself together".
Sarabi smiled.
"I just need some sleep" he added, yawning tremendously.
"Truly" Sarabi spoke amusingly. "You've tired yourself enough. Oh, and Simba…"
Sarabi trailed off, leaving Mufasa to believe his son had gotten into trouble yet again. Whether it be with the other lions, the rhinos, the meerkats or (especially) Zazuu, Simba was always finding his way into the most baffling of predicaments. It was just the way he was, and his befriending of the equally mischievous Nala was doing little to help things.
"What'd he do?" Mufasa questioned in a gruff tone, rolling his eyes at the thought of having to counsel his son again and again.
"Nothing, yet. Keep your eye on him".
"Why?" Mufasa asked. "What's he wanting to do?"
Sarabi sighed in half amusement and half legitimate concern.
"He thinks he and Nala are going to go out into the wilderness and rescue Tali. I heard them talking earlier, but I'm already one step ahead of 'em".
Mufasa felt conflicted over his son's personality that held no shortage of adventure. While he caused plenty of trouble, it was just the way Mufasa was as a cub, and he turned out okay.
"Well, we can't say he's not ambitious" he laughed as they walked down the cliff side. "But you're right, that's an awful idea".
"He doesn't seem to think so. They have it all drawn out. Convinced that they're going to be the 'heroes of the Pridelands'".
Mufasa chuckled.
"Wouldn't that be something?" he asked, and after a pause, spoke again. "I think he'll be a good king".
"He has a long way to go, but I think so too" Sarabi said.
"Oh, of course, but he has it in him. I see it getting stronger every day. But as you said..." Mufasa trailed off as the two of them came across the entrance to the den. The two swiftly noticed that Simba was not in his usual sleeping spot, where he should be. Instead, the two spotted Simba on the opposite side of the den, far away from the other lions, laughing quietly as he toyed around with a small mouse. Nala watched in amusement while the other lions slept, chuckling to herself.
The two sighed in unison before Mufasa finished his sentence.
"He's got a long way to go".
All was calm in the morning in the savannah. The clouds floated gracefully through the sky, blocking out the scorching sun for just a moment or two. The breeze gently scattered through the tall grass, and the many birds began to sing a chirp, signifying another day's beginning. This was the typical morning in the Pridelands — only one thing was missing.
"Hello!" Simba screamed down the side of Pride Rock, the distant rocks creating an odd echo to zoom back to where he stands. Simba smiled and laughed, feeling it was one of the weirdest sounds in the world.
"Hellooo!" he said again, his voice filled with reverb.
He grinned to himself again.
"That's kinda cool".
He then proceeded down the side of Pride Rock, bouncing in a lively manner. He hummed a tune to himself that he had heard earlier, performed by the birds in the nearby jungle. He had gone on one of his many adventures there with Nala, his best friend. He and Nala were always going on adventures somewhere, as there wasn't that much to do at Pride Rock aside from lie around and "waste away", as Simba would say.
Simba reached the bottom of Pride Rock, nearly sprinting at this point. Despite it being the early morning, Simba felt energized. He was never one to get up early, to say the least. But today was different.
Suddenly, a blur of tan appeared in front of him, and he slammed his paws into the dirt. However, he did not quite stop in time.
Simba collided with the blur and fell onto his side, sliding across the dirt and rolling to a stop. He caught his breath and squinted as he tried his best to see through the hovering dust
"Ow!" he said to himself, standing up to face the other lion. "Y…. Nala?"
Nala lay motionless on the ground, her eyes shut and her face blank.
Simba's mind raced as he leaped to his feet, fearing the worst. He dashed over to her side, panting.
What if she's dead? No, no! She's okay, just hurt. Maybe she just… broke her neck! Yeah, that's it! Rafiki can fix that, easy!
"Nala, Nala! Are you okay? Nala?" he asked, distressed, poking at her lightly. He began to tear up a bit, his emotions boiling over.
"Nala!" he said again. "Plea-"
"Ha!" Nala exclaimed, suddenly on her paws and smirking. "You thought I was dead, didn't you?"
Simba wiped the tears from his eyes and sneered, turning away from her slightly.
"Of course not, I… I was just…"
"Come on Simba" Nala said, punching his shoulder lightly. "I had you there. Admit it".
"Whatever" Simba grumbled. "Just don't... do that again".
Nala looked at him curiously as he began slowly walking in the other direction. She didn't think he would fall for such a drastic stunt, but he did. Although they were both running, they didn't collide hard enough to elicit any fear that one of them may have died. She knew Simba was gullible sometimes, but that was just too easy.
"I didn't mean to scare you" Nala said as she caught up to Simba, walking beside him. "I didn't think you'd fall for it. But I mean, you should have watched where you were going".
Simba shook off any bitterness he may have had and smiled playfully.
"You're kidding! That was all you!" he accused, poking Nala in a teasing way. "I was just running and then you… I don't know, appeared there".
"I have super powers" Nala proclaimed. "Duh".
"Well, thanks for clearing that up" Simba replied, glancing up at a pack of passing birds. "So, where exactly were you going?"
Nala shrugged.
"Down to the waterhole, I guess. I figured you may be there. Couldn't sleep any longer" she said.
"I guess I was too" Simba responded. "I was up on top of Pride Rock until you woke up".
"Why were you up on top of Pride Rock?" Nala asked. "Didn't your dad say you aren't supposed to go up there alone?"
"Hah!" Simba exclaimed. "I could list all the times I've disobeyed my dad, but it'd take days. Years, even. It's just… a habit".
Nala looked at him.
"I'd say it's more like a hobby".
Simba laughed to himself, knowing that Nala was right. It was a hobby at this point, and he knew it. Samba suspected that his dad just wanted to outlaw all things "fun", because everything Simba loved doing was deemed to be "dangerous" or "irresponsible".
Nala glanced up at Simba as he walked, noticing how energized he was. She figured it was probably due to the fact that just moments ago, he believed she may have been seriously harmed. Adrenaline is a powerful thing.
"So, why are you up so early?" Nala asked with a curious expression. "I don't even think your dad is up".
Simba snorted.
"He probably won't be up until sunset. He hasn't slept in forever. I think it's because of Tali" Simba said in a tone that became quieter as the sentence went on.
Nala nodded, looking upwards in thought.
"I don't mean to sound… insensitive, but do you think she's still alive?" Nala pondered, asking the question that was running across the minds of most lions in the Pridelands.
There was a moment of silence as the pair approached the water hole, Simba squinting his eyes as he considered possible ways to answer.
"I dunno" Simba answered. "She didn't know how to hunt, but she was pretty smart. Who knows? Maybe she found someone who is… y'know, keeping her alive".
"Maybe" Nala said. "It's just weird. If she was nearby, her mom would've found her by now. Why would she keep moving further away? It just doesn't make sense. Unless someone has her trapped far away. Like that uncle of yours".
"Scar?" Simba asked, raising his eyebrows. "Oh come on, I know he's weird, but-"
"I know, I know" Nala said as they stopped at the surface of the water. "I'm just kidding. He is really weird though".
"Yeah" Simba agreed. "I don't think he'd take a cub and bring them far away and trap them outside the Pridelands. I mean, what would he gain from that?"
Nala finished sipping water and shrugged once more with a look of amusement.
"He's a pretty big mystery".
"Who is?" a voice asked from behind them.
The two cubs turned around slowly to face Asani, a cub with curious green eyes and a coconut coat. Although Simba didn't prefer to call him a "friend", Asani was far from an enemy. It wasn't anything too major, but Simba just couldn't stand him some of the time. The way he would constantly comment about everything around him with a pinch of cynicism was just aggravating. Sometimes, Nala would compliment him, and Simba couldn't stand that either.
"Oh, hey Asani" Nala said nonchalantly. "We were talking about Scar".
"Ah, I see" Asani said, plopping down beside them and immediately itching his neck. "He's definitely a… colorful guy".
"Yeah" Simba spoke. "I'll say so. But he's not that bad. I mean, sometimes he's a pretty cool uncle… not all the time, but sometimes. I've been kind of… concerned about him since that time he told me to wait in the gorge, and then he just left me there".
It was an occurrence a few months back that had bewildered Simba greatly. Eventually, Mufasa went down to the gorge to retrieve a confused and tired Simba, questioning why Scar had "left him" there.
"So, why ya' up so early?" Nala asked Asani, to which he halfway shrugged.
"I could counter with the same question. Personally, I just love getting up early. Something about the birds singing so early, the sunrise, the feeling of the air… it's just nice".
"Oh, well, I just couldn't sleep" Simba stated.
After a moment of silence, Asani took a deep breath, looking down at the ground in a seemingly exasperated way.
"Listen, guys" he said sullenly. "I'm thinking about going after Tali".
Simba and Nala were not shocked. While Asani and Tali were not the best of friends, they did know each other quite well. To see Asani long to be Tali's hero was somewhat predictable, but it annoyed Simba. He wanted to be the hero, along with Nala. He knew it was childish and a bit stupid, quite frankly, but he longed for not only the glory, but the satisfaction of solving a problem for the Pridelands. It would be like he would be king already!
Simba reminisced, remembering the days when he was naive enough to look forward to his duties with such fervor — his young self did not comprehend that becoming king meant the end of his father. He was still young and naive, but he finally grasped the implications of becoming king, along with the intimidating duties. While he did look forward to his rule, he also dreaded it.
"I'm assuming your parents don't know" Nala responded, knowing Asani's parents weren't the most lenient. After all, what rational parent would endanger their cub by allowing them to leave the Pridelands?
"No, they don't" Asani replied irritably. "And I intend to keep it that way. I may not go after her; the great kings know she wronged me".
Simba stared at Asani, taking his words into account.
Why does he talk so weird? Simba asked himself. He always words things in a really confusing way.
Simba knee Asani was from another pride, but to him, that still didn't answer the question. Asani was just very odd to him — but he was generally well-liked by the cubs in the pride.
"She wronged you?" Nala asked curiously.
"She always lied" Asani answered with a disgusted look. "Always. Whenever I wanted to hang out, she was always caught up in some stupid drama. Whenever I invited her to eat with me, she wasn't hungry. Then I'd walk around the corner and see her sharing a meal with… well, you get the point".
Asani scratched the back of his neck, looking conflicted.
"She made it out that we were pals and all, but she was all over the place".
Simba and Nala nodded, acknowledging his remarks. They knew Tali was a bit melodramatic and confusing, but she also spoke very highly of Asani.
"You still want to rescue her?" Simba asked.
"Well, yeah, if she's still alive. Forgive my bluntness, but she's likely a novice survivor" Asani said.
"What happens when your parents find out you're gone?" Nala asked. "I'm pretty sure they'd kill you".
Asani chuckled, staring down at his reflection in the water. Asani knew his parents would be on him faster than he could blink, which called for an intricate plan.
"I'll figure it out" Asani said. "And again, I'm still not sure I'll do it at all. I just don't like sitting around all day and doing… well, nothing. My parents are too paranoid to let me out of sight. It'd be more fun to… I don't know, venture into the great unknown. You two know about that, from what I've heard".
"Duh" Simba replied. "We get in trouble sometimes, but it's definitely worth it".
Simba motioned with his arms as he continued.
"There's just so much out there; so much unknown. And Tali's in the middle of it. It's gotta be scary when you're alone" Simba thought out loud.
"And you two aren't afraid when you're in danger together?" Asani snorted.
"Sometimes" Nala answered. "But it's… I don't know, easier?"
Asani stood up, looking out into the horizon, the sun having just risen above the distant treeline. He stared at the distant unknown in wonder, considering what may lie beyond the realm of knowledge. The lions of the Pridelands rarely ventured outside of their home — except Simba and Nala of course, who disobeyed commands to stay nearby. Aside from them and perhaps Mufasa, the residents of the Pridelands were quite limited in their knowledge of the world.
"It's just fun to get away from the Pridelands for a while" Simba said, noticing Asani's eyes staring at the faraway structures and trees.
"I concur" Asani responded. "You two weren't planning to go searching, were you?"
Simba and Nala looked at each other, trying to decide what to do or say next through signs in each other's facial expressions.
"Uhhh" Simba started. "We're not sure".
"Not sure?" Asani questioned. "That means you're considering it".
"Yeah, maybe" Simba replied. "Why?"
Asani breathed deeply before he began his next sentence.
"If you are, I'd love to join the two of you. I could be a valuable addition. I also know Tali better than either one of you".
"Why does that matter?" Simba asked, glancing over at Nala again.
"I know her thought patterns and stuff like that. It'll increase our chances. Trust me. After all, in terms of a search party, the more the merrier. Am I right?"
Simba and Nala begrudgingly nodded, managing to hide their dismay quite well.
"If we decide to go then we'll tell you" Nala told him.
Asani took one last sip of water and then turned to begin the small trek back to the rock that the three of them knew so well.
"Sounds like a plan!" Asani exclaimed. "Just keep me updated!"
"Will do" Simba spoke as Asani began walking the opposite direction, waiting for him to turn all the way around before he resumed looking very annoyed. He looked over at Nala, holding his irritated expression.
"Are we really letting him go with us?" Simba whispered. "He could mess things up and ruin the mission".
Nala laughed.
"Well Simba, I'd say you've messed a few things up in the past".
Flashbacks of the pair's creative struggles popped into each of their heads. There was the time Simba angered a member of the southern monkey tribe tremendously — this, of course, ending up with the two tied to a tree and left for dead. The two managed to escape, but only due to a friendly spectator.
Then, there was the time Simba conjured the brilliant idea of journeying deep into a cave just outside the Pridelands. When the cave did not lead to any magical relics or anything of the sort, Simba kicked the wall of the cave quite hard out of anger, and severely sprained his paw. Then, Nala had to carry him all the way back to Pride Rock.
"Yeah, whatever" Simba grumbled. "But this is crucial. Someone's life is at stake".
"Were our lives not at stake when you insulted that monke-"
"No, no, no! No more about the monkeys!" Simba butted in. "That's all I heard about from my dad for weeks!"
"Duh! We almost died!" Nala half-joked, smiling at her friend. "If I was your dad, I'd be mad too".
Samba's eyes widened.
"Whoa! Don't ever say that!" Simba exclaimed.
"It's hypothetical, Simba" Nala retorted. "I'm not actually your dad".
"Of course, but that's still… I don't know, creepy! Really creepy!" Simba replied, fearful of the thought.
"You're so weird sometimes" Nala said as she started snickering to herself, unexpectedly, leaving Simba to look at her, bewildered.
"Nala?" he asked.
"Nothing, nothing!" she said through her laughter as they began walking back to the den. "That's just funny to me".
Simba wanted to be serious, but then, he collapsed to the ground in laughter, slapping the dirt with his paw in amusement.
"You!" he laughed. "As my dad! That's… that's…"
Nala laughed more at Simba's inability to finish a sentence than the joke itself.
As the two most mischievous cubs in the Pridelands laughed together, their voices rising above the land and echoing for quite some distance, all seemed that it would be okay. The sun had just risen, marking a new day — one full of hope that somehow, some way, Tali would find her way home. And even if not, Simba and Nala felt that they could solve the mystery, no problem.
The problem was, something was brewing just outside the Pridelands. Something sinister; something that would intimidate even the bravest of lions. Something was building that none of them had seen or encountered before; something they could not understand.
And it was closing in fast.
Thanks for reading! As I said before, please review and leave your thoughts! I'll be back with an update very soon.