Note: This is a RETELLING of A Great Calling and is it's own thing, hereby making it sort of an alternate timeline scenario of the canon one.
Ugh...where am I?
I slowly opened my tired eyes as I saw the sky. Looks like it was the evening, so...how it was at home. Maybe I'm in my backyard.
However...I realized that the birds flying over me were not native to North America...these were red-billed spurfowl, a species of bird found mainly in...Southern...Africa...huh.
I sat up with a groan as I rubbed my head until noticing paw's at the end of my legs. Wait, wha-
Greetings, Connor.
JESUS!
I looked around rapidly to try to find the source of the voice before it continued to speak.
You will not find me anywhere physically, my young friend.
I raised an eyebrow at the voice's chuckle, clearly amused by my confusion. Who are you, where am I and why am I here?
I can only answer one of those three questions for now, Emery.
How do you know my first and last na-
Welcome to The Pridelands.
The...what? You're joking with me, right?
Observe your surroundings and determine that yourself.
Hesitantly doing so, I saw animals of the African Savanna doing their typical activities until I noticed hyenas closing in on the herd of zebra that was innocently caring for their young.
Quickly, I sprang to my feet, but instantly fell over as the voice did a light laugh.
Your body will be gotten used to, Connor. Until then, I will be off.
Hey wai-ugh!
I groaned at the voice's disappearance before I ran towards the location of the trouble, eventually encountering the three hyenas who were causing the trouble.
"Look what we have here, fellas." Their leader said as I raised a confused eyebrow, "A lion cub on his own."
I snickered at that until I saw the other two hyenas whip past me, causing me to blink and growl.
"Take care of the herd!" The leader shouted before looking back at me, " As for you…"
"Get away from him, Janja!" I heard a voice say as a red maned and golden furred lion came to our location with a honey badger, cheetah, hippo and egret.
"Kion!?" Janja sputtered, "What are you doing here?"
"We noticed you and this lion while patrolling." He answered, "Now get out of the Pridelands."
I observed the scene with a slight smile before Janja himself smirked, inciting my frown.
"Oh, I will...but I'll say goodbye in my own way." He said before I heard panicked neighs of zebras, leading to my less than pleasant sight of The Lion Guard getting out of the way as a zebra stampede hit me, causing me to instantly black out.
"-This guy?" I heard a female voice say as I slowly began to wake up.
"I don't know, Kiara. The Guard and I stopped Janja from attacking him, but-he's waking up!' I heard another voice, presumably Kion, say as I sat up, head ringing and body aching from the impact. When I opened my eyes, I noticed two other lions than them.
"Well, mom and dad are coming, so I guess Tiifu, Zuri and I will be taking our leave." Kiara said flatly, "He doesn't seem that special."
"But Kiara, he-" Kion tried to say, but Kiara stopped him, to my slight annoyance.
"Don't seem too fond of strangers, do you?" I asked the lioness croakily, "Shame."
"Oh? And who might you be?" Kiara asked me, causing me to pause. Umm…
What's a good name?
"Well!?" Kiara now shouted. Ah, I know!
"Shujaa." I answered with a faint growl, "There. Happy now?"
''Hardly.'' Kiara huffed, ''You seem a bit turned off by this.''
''You'd be surprised about how goofy I can be.'' I said before Kiara growled and walked off, inciting me to raise an eyebrow as Kion came over, ''You know, you're not making this situation any easier, Princess!''
At my own raised voice, Kiara blinked in surprise, only to have a hardened expression and turn to Tiifu and Zuri.
"Let's go." Kiara said, walking off as Tiifu and Zuri both turned to me with an expression that said 'it was nice to meet you', to which I nodded at with a smile. When they followed her, Kion sighed from behind me.
"That's Kiara for you." Kion said, clearly annoyed with the attitude of his sister, "Ever since dad taught her that 'We Are One' lesson, she's been acting more snooty and arrogant around us."
At that, I raised an eyebrow. How did this development transpire. If the lesson Simba taught Kiara was about family, I can conclude that out of that, Kiara generally saw the lower class as inferior to the royals.
"So she basically got a superiority complex out of it?" I asked and Kion nodded, "Seems like the opposite effect of what was intended, don't you think?"
"That's what mom and dad said, but they passed it off as growth." Kion explained, then walked off behind me, "Anyway, I gotta go get back with my friends. Nice meeting you."
As Kion faded from hearing, I looked at the ground. If what Kiok is saying is true, then Kiara will need some cutting down to size, but that won't be done now.
I looked in the distance with a sigh.
I don't know when.
As I managed to find my way to Pride Rock, I came across the pride, consisting of a smaller population than expected, but hey, after a mass population reduction, whaddya gonna do?
I approached the two royals at the den that I saw, identifying them as Simba and Nala. After swallowing my Pride, I bowed to the two monarchs.
''Greetings, your majesties.'' I said with a gulp...this was embarrassing. I, someone who didn't back down from much larger people in school, was grovelling at the feet of a king and queen.
''The bow isn't needed, young cub.'' Simba said as Nala did a friendly smile, ''We aren't really used to the whole 'bowing' thing.''
At Simba's nervous laugh, I chuckled.
''Don't worry, I won't make it a habit.'' I assured him, ''I'm not too fond of bowing to others.''
Simba just nodded.
''I trust you've met Kion and Kiara?'' Simba asked and at the mention of Kiara, I frowned.
''Oh, sure, I of course met Kiara.'' I coughed, ''She wasn't the best of lions to meet, but Kion was a great guy.''
At the criticism of Kiara, Simba sighed before Nala spoke up.
''Kiara can be like that, '' Nala started, ''But deep inside, you're more alike than she admits.''
''Nala, I hardly think that she's suitable for the jo-'' I tried to say, but heard a voice.
''She's to carry the weight of the Pridelands on her shoulders when she gets older.'' I heard an old voice say as an aged lioness walked out of the den.
''Good morning, mom.'' Simba greeted the old lioness, who smiled at her son.
''Good morning, everyone.'' She said before noticing me and walking over, retaining the smile she had at Simba, ''My name is Sarabi, young one.''
At the softness of her tone, I eased a bit, the nervousness going away and replaced with calmness.
''You seemed quite nervous.'' Sarabi pointed, ''What was troubling you?''
''I've had a long day and met a Princess who has absolutely no approval of me.'' I explained, ''I'm pretty sure that is enough to trouble me.''
''Well, not to worry, Shujaa.'' She assured me with a tone a mother would have, ''You will be a part of this Pride.''
''Are you serious?'' I heard Kiara ask as she, Tiifu and Zuri approached us from behind, ''Grandma, I don't really think this is a good idea. We know absolutely nothing about him.''
''I concur.'' Simba said, agreeing with Sarabi and looking to Kiara, ''While we might not know anything about Shujaa, it is important to save a life, especially a young life.''
As Kiara scoffed, I had a thankful smile.
''Besides, maybe it gives you a new friend to hang around.'' Simba said and I rolled my eyes as Kiara had a deadpanned face.
''Yeah, sure.'' She said, but I knew she was being sarcastic.
We looked at each other, staring each other down, me with curiosity and Kiara with indifference.
This is going to be quite interesting….
NEXT: With Shujaa and Kiara's sour interactions towards each other worsening, Tiifu and Zuri try to get the two to get along, but will it work?