Cubhood – Introduction
Along time ago, in the summer of 2012, a crazy kid for Britain had a chat with friends about which Disney story influenced them most as a child. This crazy kid, said that the Lion King, was the most influential. And that night, looked it up, to see if they had ever made a third Lion King film. (They had – in Britain, the Lion King 1.5 was distributed as Lion King 3). Some authors on the internet had apparently not received that memo. For they had taken upon themselves to continue the story.
It was during an ill-advised exploration of these unofficial continuations, that this author was introduced to the idea of fanfiction. Or more accurately, fanfiction that wasn't exuberant slash porn, or the "Expanded Universe" of several popular Sci-Fi series.
This was a somewhat astonishing revelation to this author. He read many Lion King III's, IV's, prequels, sequels, and AUs. One in particular, a series in the style of Saturday cartoons, caught his imagination. ThatPersonYouMightKnow has since deleted his series, though reference to it remains on TvTropes. However, its influence remains, as more than one Author in the Lion King Fandom owes their inspiration to his series.
A tragic, embarrassing, and childish PM ("Hey! Wouldn't it be cool if you_ Insert Idea Here" to this author; Don't do that to me.) prompted an exchange of ideas. And before you knew it this author embarked upon a foolish quest to tell a story. This story was – broadly speaking – an attempt to tell the beloved British Classic "A Christmas Carol", from the perspective of a Disney Villain.
There was of course, only one issue with this story.
It was garbage.
Unadulterated, embarrassing, humiliating garbage, littered with referenced to popular series, badly written, and embarrassingly brought together.
Inexplicably however, the readers of the series seemed to enjoy it. With a few exceptions – who will no doubt humiliate themselves further by making themselves known shortly – the popular response was positive. And now, six years later I find myself with the fifth most reviewed, complete story in the fandom. The third most reviewed author.
How about that.
I certainly didn't see that coming.
However, I continued my efforts, and began an ambitious project, to write an Epic series. A five part Fantasy series, with a cast of characters, world ending stakes, empires and kingdoms and other such nonsense. And it remained popular. People seemed to like it.
And given that people seemed to like it, I found myself at a crossroads.
I knew the story could be better. I knew the characters could be better. I knew I could do a better job.
Oh. A Disney created an entire new series, invalidating my Canon.
Bugger.
I owed it to the readers, to tell a story that was good. A story that was a reflection of my growth as a person, and as an author.
When I first began, I was a kid. A child. Now? I am adult. My best friend has got a mortgage, and is moved in with his girlfriend (And between you and me, I smell wedding bells) I myself have a degree, and am working on the next. I'm a qualified Scientist. I am an adult (How did that happen) who is allegedly responsible for what happens around him. (It's a con: I have no idea what I am doing. Send Help.)
Life has moved on. People have grown.
Nations, have inexplicably taken leave of their senses. (2016 happened. Yikes.) The world has shifted, and become, in my opinion, objectively worse for the first time in seventy years.
But in the mean time, I have become a very different person. I can drink. I am expected to handle finance and business. To exercise my right to vote. To pay tax! To express my satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the status quo. I was no longer a child. I had influence. I had a choice. My actions mattered. My opinions and beliefs mattered.
The world was different.
And – attached to my name – was an awful story about the Lion King. It didn't seem right. It didn't seem right that an adult, with such real responsibilities should be associated with such a mundane, mediocre thing.
As such, I resolved to rewrite the first story in my series.
The Lion King: Judgement was to be reborn.
And when it did, I found it had somehow split into three volumes.
This, is the first of those three Volumes.
I have changed as a person. And so the story I wanted to tell was changed. This is the new Canon. The new story. And it was three times the length.
And now, I ask you – not matter when you read this, be it a day from now, or a year from now, or even – should we survive the impending apocalypse that seems appropriate and deserved right now (I mean, have you see outside?) – ten years from now – to let me know what you think. What did you like, what did you dislike, what did you find sad, or funny, or exciting. Please, use the reviews to express your feelings. I would like to know how I did. Do one a chapter – even if the story is done. Its interesting – to see how your thoughts and feelings change as the story progresses.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed writing it. I like to think that something I have done has brought happiness to someone else. If every person in this life leaves the world a little better – then no matter how hopeless or worthless the world seems, it is a mathematical probabilistic certainty, that, at some point in the distant future, the world's problems will be solved. You don't need to come up with the solution yourself. Just make the world a little better.
So, wherever on this world you live; from all of the continents, to all of the seas. Across the many lands and nations of the earth.
Enjoy life.
Stay safe.
Live well.
Be happy, healthy and wise.
And be kind.
The Author.
Haradion.
The Lion King Judgement – Book I: Cubood.
06/11/2018